


Dawn of Justice

by Supercat_123



Category: DCU (Comics), Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Established Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, F/F, F/M, Lena Luthor Finds Out Kara Danvers is Supergirl, Lena Luthor Knows Kara Danvers Is Supergirl, Protective Kara Danvers, Protective Lena Luthor, justice league - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-13
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2018-10-04 00:48:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 101,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10263131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Supercat_123/pseuds/Supercat_123
Summary: It's the founding of the Justice League on Earth 38 – a woman whose family name is loathed near and far becomes the Green Lantern of Space Sector 2814, one of the protectors of the universe, while another woman who was on her way to becoming the fastest person alive joins the Maid of Might, the Last Son of Mars, the Man of Steel, Earth's Cosmic Crusader and the Dark Knight to form the most powerful force for good ever assembled.





	1. Emerald Dawn

**Author's Note:**

> Departs from canon at Supergirl 2X12

“Ms. Luthor! Welcome to our facility! You’re just in time to see the integrated test of the new oscillators for the _Venture’s_ navigation systems!”

Lena Luthor smiled at the administrator of L-Corp’s Mojave Aerospace Engineering Test Facility. “Please, Dave, call me Lena. And thank you for inviting us to the facility,” as she indicated why she had used the plural pronoun by the elegant sweep of her hand toward the two DEO agents who served as her bodyguards while her mother, Lillian, was on the loose.

Even though she knew she was in constant danger since her DNA served as the only key to open the weapon depots that her brother, Lex, had stashed around the globe ( _thank you ever so much for slapping that target on my back, brother dear,_ she mused to herself, sarcasm dripping line honey from every word), she refused to surrender to her fears. After some heavy persuasion by both Supergirl and Kara Danvers, especially after experiencing the awesome effect of Kara’s devastating ‘puppy pout,’ Lena had agreed to around-the-clock FBI protection so long as the agents weren’t overly intrusive in her private life.

Now she was here at her Mojave Desert AETF dressed in comfortable desert wear, rather than her customary dressed-to-kill blouses, pencil skirts, and high heels, to show her personal interest in the equipment test for the space plane that Supergirl and Superman had saved from John Corben’s assassination attempt to kill her.

Besides, the photo op would make great PR for both L-Corp. and her with the company’s investors after the fiasco of her arrest last week for a crime she hadn't committed.

Fortunately, back in October, she had been so preoccupied by the corporate name change from Luthor Corp. to L-Corp., that she’d missed the doomed flight. And, even though Corben had almost killed her several days after the _Venture _had been recovered safely by the Supers, the best part of the whole ordeal was meeting Kara Danvers.__

Kara had become Lena’s only friend in National City and Lena couldn’t have asked for a better ally. Kara had been the only one to thank her for what she’d done to protect the aliens in National City from her mother’s depraved scheme to kill them all with a bio-weapon. She’d been her only defender when everyone thought she’d broken her mother out of police custody. Kara had been the one to send Supergirl to rescue her from Metallo, her mother and Lillian’s cyborg lackey. Truly, Kara Danvers was Lena’s personal hero.

And Supergirl, as unlikely as it had seemed to Lena, was fast becoming another friend of hers in National City. The hero had not hesitated to smash into Lex’s stronghold to save Lena at the risk of her own life, especially after the hero had to face a Metallo that had almost gone off like a ticking time bomb.

After Lena had awakened in a comfortable hospital bed, her head was a little woozy. She'd suffered a bit from the effects of a slight concussion due to Henshaw slamming her head down against the bunker’s concrete floor. When she felt something cradling her hand tenderly, she pried open her eyes to find Kara was there, holding it. The blonde was seated beside her bed with Lena’s fingers intertwined with hers. Then when the adorable reporter had seen she had awakened, Kara had given her a smile brighter than the sun. Seeing that smile had made Lena come to believe the other woman could have feelings for her that might be more than mere friendship. Shortly thereafter, Kara had told her that Supergirl and her Martian friend had almost been caught in the explosion right before the Girl of Steel had used her powers of flight to spirit Lena away from that place in the nick of time.

The next day, Lena had flower delivery people fill Kara’s office to the brim with floral arrangements of all shapes and sizes. She'd wished she had done the same for Supergirl but pesky things like secret identities and all had derailed that train of thought!

Suddenly, she shook her head slightly to dispel her woolgathering and turned to Dave Jantzen. “Dave, before we start the test, I need to place a call. However, my 4G signal graphic indicates I only have one bar or so. Is there someplace inside the facility where I can get better reception?”

“Well…for some peculiar reason, we find the best reception is inside the _Venture_ flight simulator pod. Please, follow me.”

A few minutes later, they entered the bay where the simulator pod was located. The pod rested on a hydraulic base that was used to simulate the various flight movements that the _Venture_ itself would experience in the real world. Jantzen led her to a hatch in the side of the pod and said, “Your signal should improve once you’re inside. I will wait for you in the simulation control room which is right through those double doors over there,” he indicated by pointing toward them with his index finger. 

She smiled at him. “Thanks, Dave. My call won’t take long.” Then she turned to the female DEO operative who was acting in her cover as a FBI special agent. “Agent Vasquez, would you mind waiting outside the pod until I complete my call?”

“We don’t mind at all, Ms. Luthor.”

She narrowed her eyes at the other woman, her expression one of mock annoyance. “How many times must I tell you to call me Lena, Susan?”

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” Vasquez said with a smirk. “It’s FBI protocol. It helps keep us focused on our mission.”

Shaking her head resignedly, she entered the pod and closed the hatch behind her.

The interior of the pod was well-lit and she easily made her way to the pilot’s seat while examining her smart phone’s reception bars. When she had three bars, she sat in the chair and dialed her favorite reporter.

_“Hello, this is Kara Danvers speaking.”_

Lena smiled brightly, “Hi, Kara! It’s Lena!”

_“Lena! It’s so great to hear your voice! Is there anything I can do for you?”_

It warmed her heart so to hear the caring nature of Kara’s voice completely directed toward her. “Actually, I was calling to see if you’d like to go out to dinner with me. It’s the least I can do after you told Supergirl that you believed in me and persuaded her to come to my rescue.”

_“Pfft…you know, the flowers were more than enough! You don’t need to feed me, too! After all, I’m always happy to help a friend.”_

_Oh, you are SO much more than a friend to me, my darling,_ the Luthor mused to herself. “Well, even so, I simply want to show you my appreciation and how much you mean to me. After all that you’ve done for me, I will always hold you close to my heart, no matter what. Kara…I'm not just saying that. I truly feel that way about you, okay?"

_“Um…er…right! I-I mean…t-that’s definitely great!”_

She grinned at her adorkable friend’s stammering response. Lena enjoyed flustering Kara Danvers so damn much! “So, will you join me for dinner, let’s say 7:30? That will give me time to get back to the city. I’ll pick you up at 7:00 at your place. We’ll go to that Chinese restaurant that you love, you know the one that serves the all-you-can-eat potstickers?”

She heard the other woman’s gasp of pleasure over her speaker. _“Really?”_

“Really,” she answered with a beatific smile. _They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,_ Lena mused to herself. _Hopefully the same held true for a kind-hearted soul with the appetite of a squad of NFL down linemen, a wondrous person she had fallen deeply, hopelessly for._

Then she recalled the last time they'd dined out at a restaurant which led her to question her own sanity for seeking a repeat of when she'd almost experienced a near heart attack a few days ago and had to rush home afterwards for an emergency encounter with her vibrator.

#

**Last Friday Night**

_"Lena, did you hear the waiter's descriptions of the specials? Everything sounded fantastic! It's almost too hard for me to choose just one dish," Kara moaned._

__

__

_At the sensual sound uttered deep from inside the blonde, the flustered CEO snatched up her water glass filled to the brim with ice cubes from the top of the table inside the swanky, five-star restaurant where she and Kara were dining and frantically gulped down the liquid._ Jesus, _she bemoaned to herself,_ this girl is going to be the death of me. Either she'll kill me by her obliviously sexy reactions to her greatest love, food, or she'll actually turn me, a billionaire, into a pauper by paying for everything she eats!

_Then after the waiter had brought a basket of bread to their table, Kara eagerly grabbed a piece, broke it into two, and popped a portion into her mouth. "Oh...God," the blonde groaned. "This is so..good! I feel like I've died and gone to heaven."_

_As an uncomfortable and rather distracting warmth pooled between Lena's legs, she knew for certain, that unlike Kara, she had died and gone to the Ninth Circle of Hell._

#

**Present Day**

Almost every time they'd gone out for brunch, lunch or dinner, Lena grew more thirsty a.f. for the lovely blonde. Even so, she was happy as a clam their friendship had continued to blossom after the Medusa affair. She'd been pleasantly surprised that Mike, the intern, had apparently faded out of the picture. When she'd invited Kara to her gala, that frat boy wannabe had seemed to be romantically interested in Kara, her friend. However, she hadn't seen him sniffing around the sweet-hearted journalist lately and Kara hadn't mentioned him at all during their intimate get-togethers. That was a good thing; without him sniffing around her, the cute reporter had seemed happier and less distracted, which was a good thing, you know, for her _friend._

Still, it was plain as day that the girl from Midvale was painfully straight and it was hopeless to think she'd ever desire a romantic relationship with her. Yet, despite her unrequited feelings for Kara, she couldn't imagine going through life without her best friend. So, she'd continue to spend as much time as she could with Kara, damn her noble, self-sacrificing nature!

Now her woolgathering ground to a halt when Kara said, _“Okay then! I’m there! Er…rather, I’ll be there when we…I mean…you and I…arrive there…together…um…are we supposed to be there at 7:30, was it?”_

“Yes, Kara. 7:30 at the restaurant. I’ll have Jess make the reservations. So, I’ll pick you up at 7:00 at your apartment.”

_“That will be fine, Lena!”_

“Wonderful. I look forward to seeing you again.”

_“Me, too.”_

“Well, duty calls. I’ve got to go. See you soon.”

_“Okay. Stay safe. Bye!”_

“Goodbye,” she said, still unused to the unconditional caring she received from the quirky blonde.

She then texted her secretary, Jess, about the reservations and noticed she’d received a call during her conversation with Kara. When she looked up the number in her contact list, she saw the call had come from Jesse Chambers.

Jesse had been her roommate in boarding school. She was an old friend who’d also taken the reins of her family’s business after the woman's father had passed away. Lena was about to call her old roommate when all the lights in the simulator went out.

She blinked thrice as her eyes acclimated to the darkness. She glanced down at the screen of her phone to see that she no longer had any reception whatsoever. Then she used the light from her smart phone to search for the comm switch to the control room.

Once she found it, she pressed the button and asked, “Dave, what happened to the power?”

She waited for several moments but there was no response.

She sighed and made her way through the gloomy capsule to the hatch.

She activated the emergency release and slid the door open.

Then when she saw that there was nothing but blue sky and the desert landscape hundreds of feet below in front of her, she halted dead in her tracks. While she stood in the opening she happened to spy a green…energy field appeared to cover the opening as well as the entire pod.

She gently pressed against the field with her gloved fingers but it failed to budge even an inch. As the pod appeared to glide across the sky, she could feel no wind effects through the force field. Realizing that the technology to accomplish all of this was beyond anything Earth science could even envision, she just shrugged and allowed a smile full of wonder to dawn on her lovely face. “Okay,” she simply said and decided to just enjoy the smooth and quiet ride.

Minutes later, the capsule gently lowered itself down to the ground on the edge of a debris field of some sort of advanced aircraft that had crashed in the desert. Upon landing, the field faded away, allowing her to step out of the pod. She panned the area with her green eyes and found what looked like a man’s body inside one of the larger pieces of debris. “My God,” she muttered as she raced toward the figure, her sole concern to help him if she could.

Once she’d removed some wreckage to reach his side, she came to realize that the figure inside the cockpit wasn’t human at all. It was bilateral in all forms like a human and wore an outfit that reminded her of a uniform, one that was green with black trim with a white oval in the center of its chest that had a symbol that reminded her of one of those old railroad lanterns inside it. However, what differentiated it from a human was the red skin that covered its hairless head and the pointed ears that reminded her of the Vulcan character from the original _Star Trek_ series. When she continued to examine him, she uncovered a gaping wound on his right side in what would be the abdomen on a human.

Six months ago, the Lena of then may have been unnerved by the sight of an alien so close to her. However, after her discussions with Kara, she’d come to the realization that aliens were just people from the stars. Like humans, some were good and some were bad. Sometimes, everyone, human and alien alike, needed help.

This was one of those times.

She reached out to it and her movement caused it to open its eyes to look at her. “Let me help you,” she said softly, hoping that the gentle tone of her voice would convey she had no wish to harm it.

“I-it’s all right,” the creature responded in perfect English, his voice reminding her of one of her male professors at MIT. “M-my time has come.”

“You speak English?”

“Yes. I am Abin Sur. I have visited your world many times in the past. My friend J’onn J’onzz, the last Green Martian, still lives here on your world. But I have never needed to learn how to speak your language. I-it’s the ring,” he said as he lifted his right hand. On his middle finger was a ring that resembled the insignia in the oval on his chest. Soon after, the ring began to glow as it floated off of his finger to hover in the air between them. “It has looked into your heart and chosen you. You have great willpower and you want to be a force for good to make right the evil your family has done. However, you have the potential to do so much more.”

Normally, she wouldn’t want to touch an alien artifact without subjecting it to a battery of tests in a controlled environment. Although she was a risk-taker by nature, the Luthor heiress wasn’t reckless. Yet, something about the ring called to a feeling deep inside her in a voice that Supergirl had once used so that Lena could take up the mantle that went with being a hero for both National City and herself.

 _Be your own hero,_ the ring whispered inside her mind.

So, she stretched out the fingers of her hand and the ring glided onto her middle finger. Instantly, emerald energy encircled her body, lifting her gently off the ground. While the power of the ring flowed through her, she could actually feel the energy rearrange the molecules of her clothing into the duplicate of the uniform the injured alien wore along with a domino mask to cover her nose and eyes. Her gaze panned down her body and spied the green portion of her uniform which covered her torso was in the shape of an arrowhead from the wide part beginning at her shoulders and ending at the tip right above her navel. The rest of her outfit was black with the exception of her white gloves and her calf-high green boots. Then as the energy began to fade, she also found that in her left hand, she held a device that reminded her of an old railroad lantern as her feet slowly and gently touched down on the ground.

Although Abin Sur looked paler and more pained when Lena knelt down by his side, she recognized the look of pride in his eyes that she’d only seen from Lex, before his madness had taken him from her and Kara, whenever they'd looked at her. “You are now…a Green Lantern,” he gasped, “one of the protectors of the universe. The Guardians will send someone to train you, Lena Luthor of the planet Earth. I know you will use…the…ring…wisely.”

Those were his final words as the light in his eyes dimmed.

#

“What do you mean ‘she’s gone?!'”

_“Ma’am, Agent Thompson and I were standing guard right outside of the simulator where she went to place some phone calls when this massive, green energy wave passed through the windows. The energy surrounded the simulator and ripped it from its base before it smashed a hole in the wall and carried the simulator out into the sky.”_

Although Alex Danvers had heard what Susan had said through her comms panel, she still couldn’t believe her ears. “Vasquez, are you certain that event happened exactly the way you just described it? It may have been a hologram or something.”

_“That’s unlikely, ma’am. The facility cameras recorded the whole thing and the physical evidence is entirely real. Whatever it was kidnapped her, Alex.”_

“Susan…this energy wave…did you hear any sounds or feel any vibrations in connection with it.”

_“There was absolutely nothing. No sounds or vibrations. It was as silent as the grave.”_

The second in command of the DEO winced at Susan’s slip of the tongue. It was bad enough that she was going to have to tell Kara about what had happened to Lena. It would be worse to convey that whatever had happened may have led to her sister’s gal pal’s demise. “All right, I want Thompson and you to search the premises for any signs of Ms. Luthor. Meanwhile, I’m going to notify Supergirl. I expect she’ll arrive on station shortly.”

_“Understood, ma’am. Please tell Supergirl I’m sorry this happened and not to lose hope. Vasquez out.”_

Alex stared at the panel for several moments before she drew her smart phone and had it speed dial her sister’s number.

_“Alex? Is there trouble?”_

“Kara, you need to listen to me carefully. While Lena was at one of her facilities, someone or some…thing swept in and took her away. No one saw anyone do it. They all say that some form of green energy penetrated the walls of the facility and took the _Venture _simulator pod while Lena was inside it.”__

_“Alex, I’ve got to find her…save her!”_

“Kara, I know but please, please wait one moment, okay? This green energy…no one knows what it is but it could be kryptonite. I think we need to be really careful about this because maybe Cadmus has found some way to create an energy field using kryptonite radiation. If so and they turn this device on you…it’ll kill you, Kara.”

_“I won’t risk Lena’s safety even if it means I could die. Alex, I…I can’t lose her. Now where was she before she was taken? Maybe I can spot something that’ll lead me to her.”_

"She was at L-Corp’s Aerospace Engineering Test Facility on Edwards Air Force Base. I’ve sent the GPS coordinates to your phone.”

 _“Thanks, Alex. I’ll see you soon,”_ Kara said before she disconnected the call.

Alex then stared down at her phone and prayed to God that Kara’s last words would come true.

#

Moments after the alien had drawn its last breath, the ring flared and the artifact formed an energy bubble around Lena’s entire body. Suddenly every piece of Abin Sur’s wrecked craft glowed brightly before the wreckage exploded with tremendous force.

The next thing she knew she was hovering in the air about one hundred feet above the crash site. With a mere thought she descended down to the ground and found that nothing remained of Abin Sur’s doomed ship. There was only a shallow crater in its place. It appeared almost as if the ship had never been there with the exception of the ring on her finger and the lantern-looking device in her other hand. As she mourned for the alien who died on a planet that was alien to him, she considered the loss of his ship’s technology and believed perhaps it had been for the best. Her people were probably better off if they developed the technology that would take them to the stars one day rather than raiding an alien’s gravesite for it.

Then right before she was going to direct the ring to fly her back to the aerospace facility, it spoke to her inside her mind. _“Alert! Humanoid life form rapidly approaching our position. Life form identified as a Kryptonian female.”_

 _“It’s Supergirl,”_ she mused back to the ring. Although she trusted the alien with her life, she also knew Supergirl worked for an organization filled with people who’d probably love nothing better than to get their hands on the ring. Lena could not allow that to happen until she learned more about it and understood why it had chosen her. _“Ring, I need to hide the lantern, have you change me back to my regular clothes and have you turn invisible.”_

_“Of course, ring bearer. This one can store the battery in a fractal dimension inside this one. You can recall it to your side at any time you desire. However, you must recharge this one every twenty-four of your hours by placing this one in front of the battery and reciting the oath.”_

_"All right, tell me about the oath later and do what I’d just asked, please. She’s coming!”_

#

When she heard the sound of a massive explosion in the desert about fifty miles due east of the aerospace facility, Kara nearly had a heart attack. As she zoomed toward the direction of the explosion, she pleaded to Rao, _“Please, please, let Lena be alive, let Lena be alive—”_

Amazingly, Kara was so caught up in her pleas to her Kryptonian god she almost failed to stop her flight when she caught sight of Lena Luthor dressed in sporty yet functional desert wear simply sitting on top of a large rock apparently waiting for her to show up.

“Lena?!”

“Oh, hello there, Supergirl! Do you mind if I hitch a ride with you back to my aerospace facility? I’ll tell you all about how I got stuck out here in the middle of nowhere once we get back and after I have a tall glass of ice cold water to quench my thirst!”

With a burst of super speed, Kara swept down out of the sky and gently hugged the other woman close. “Thank, Rao! I was so afraid I’d lost you!”

"Well..." Lena purred.  "I'm very happy to see you, too, Supergirl!"

#

Perhaps her senses had been augmented by the ring that was now invisible to the naked eye. Or, perhaps this tiny slip in Supergirl’s stalwart façade had done the job. Now, wrapped inside the warm, strong arms of the blonde alien, the hint of vanilla and the fresh fragrance that belonged only to Kara Danvers was present right here, right now.

Apparently, Lena wasn’t the only one nursing a really big secret.

#


	2. "Lena Luthor--Welcome to the Corps!"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena has an early evening visitor who brings gifts of sugary goodness shortly before a stranger shatters her nightly routine.

"Kara!" Lena exclaimed when Jess showed the blonde reporter into her office. "I'm so happy to see you...unless your ogre of a boss at Catco sent you here to shake me down for a quote about what happened in the desert."

"No. I'm here as a friend."

A tiny smile dawned on Lena's face as she tried to massage a kink out of her neck with her elegant right hand. For most of the day, she'd pulled up her big girl pants and had either dived into the pile of work that had built up during her time away from the building or practiced using the ring's energy to create hard light constructs and manipulate many of the objects in her office.

Lena then glanced up at the face of the woman, who today Lena was pleasantly surprised to find was dressed in a cute green A-line dress, a trench coat draped over her arm, and black patent leather flats, a woman she now knew was both Kara Danvers and Supergirl. As for herself, she was dressed in the leather halter top and slacks she'd worn on the day she'd filled Kara's office to the brim with floral arrangements. After the wonderful hug in the desert that they'd shared, Lena had hoped Kara had gotten the hint Lena was romantically interested in the reporter. However, Lena had come to realize the Kryptonian was oblivious regarding human courtship behavior. For instance, the time the Luthor had reacted frostily to finding Alex in Kara's apartment before she'd learnt the agent was the blonde's sister should have tipped the blonde off about Lena’s feelings for her. Also, there'd been the time Lena had Jess pump Eve Teschmacher for Kara's address, as well as the scoop on the blonde's obsession for potstickers Lena had served for Kara's benefit at the Children's Hospital gala. Of course, most recently, the CEO had nearly thousands of flowers delivered to Catco last week to thank Kara for always believing in her and persuading Supergirl to rescue her from her mother's clutches.

Yet, it was as plain as the nose on Lena's face that Kara still had no clue about the Luthor's true feelings for her. 

Today, she'd been hoping the blonde would drop by so she could tempt Kara in the right direction by deploying her 'secret weapons'--both of them!

Now, Kara returned Lena's smile and said, "Actually," while she drew out a white paper bag from underneath her trench coat, "I thought you could use another batch of fried, sugary goodness in your life."

It was nice that their routine was still untouched by what had gone down for the both of them in the desert yesterday.  "Oh, well," she murmured while giving her friend a conspiratorial look, "I am human." Then she playfully snatched the bag from Kara knowing full well the Kryptonian had allowed her to take the bag out of the alien's hand.  "Thank you, Kara."

Her friend simply nodded and followed Lena to the imported white leather couch across from the CEO's desk.

Once they were seated, Lena began to pick apart her doughnut while Kara took a voracious bite out of hers.  Then the Kryptonian asked, "Lena...are you doing okay? I mean, what happened out in the desert must have been really unsettling for you."

She flashed a tiny grin at Kara. Even though she knew that Kara had been there with her as Supergirl and had seen how fine with the predicament she'd been, she realized at that moment that the other woman's concern for her well-being was completely and totally real.  "I think I'm okay, Kara.  Although I still don't have a clue about who or what stole me away to the middle of nowhere, I'm just happy that they or it simply let me go.  However, I do have a bone to pick with it or them about the simulator's destruction.  Machines like that don't grow on trees, you know!"

"That's true but I'd rather whomever they were or whatever it was had decided to destroy the machine and not you!"

Lena laughed lightly.  "You'll get no argument from me on that!" All of a sudden, her mood turned quite sober.  She still harbored some sadness over Abin Sur's fate-an unmarked grave on an alien planet.  No one deserved that. Then she wondered if the same fate was in store for her one day, hopefully, in the distant future.  "You know, Kara," she noted with a sigh, "something about this whole experience feels-kind of alien to me. Perhaps something not from this Earth took me so I realized that even with all of the resources available to me, some things are beyond my kin to understand."

"Wow...if I were looking for a quote for Snapper, what you just said would have been an awesome one!"

She smirked at her friend.  "You think so?  Actually, I kind of ripped off the title from one of those old sci-fi movies from the Fifties!"

Kara shook her head with mock admonishment.  "Unbelievable.  Who would believe that the powerful CEO of LCorp is such a nerd." Then the brightness of 'Sunny Danvers' dimmed a bit.  "So, you don't think that Cadmus had any connection to your abduction?"

"I don't think so. After that mysterious energy field had landed the simulator, I saw no signs either of my mother or her cyborg henchman in the vicinity."

"That's true."

Lena struggled to keep the knowing smirk from showing on her face then. Apparently, Kara hadn't realized how she had just outed herself by confirming an observation that only Supergirl could have made. At that moment, the little devil sitting on her shoulder prodded her to mess with the blonde woman. "I'm sorry, Kara. I didn't quite catch what you'd just said.  Please...repeat it for me, would you?"

She could almost watch the gears turning inside Kara's magnificent mind while the Kryptonian analyzed her prior statement. Suddenly, when the blonde's eyes shot wide open, Lena almost grinned.   _"Ladies and gentlemen, the_ Eagle _has landed,"_ she mused to herself.

A sputtering Kara tried to climb out of the trap of her own making then.  "I-I m-meant...um...er...that...Cadmus wasn't...you know...r-responsible for your...um...abduction?"

"Is that a question or a statement, Kara?" she teased.

"Um...er...a statement, I think?"

"Hmm," she simply hummed her agreement with Kara's observation. "I certainly was very lucky this time.  I mean right after the simulator exploded, Supergirl arrived to save the day and return me to the facility."

"Yes...well...your security detail from the FBI must have notified her about your abduction and she came to rescue you."

She narrowed her eyes at the alien then in disbelief. _Really, Kara?_ she mused. _You're going to go with Susan and Agent Thompson being connected to the FBI rather than the DEO where both you and that psycho you call a sister work to protect the planet from bad aliens and people like my mother?_

Although there wasn't much that unsettled her, after witnessing Kara's sister nearly beat the crap out of Corben, a man twice the woman's size, Lena knew as God was her witness that Alex Danvers was a certified badass and she never, ever wanted to get on that woman's bad side! Unfortunately, if she ever was fortunate enough to have Kara see her more than as a 'friend,' Lena wasn't looking forward to Agent Danvers' version of the dreaded 'shovel talk.'

What she _actually_ said to Kara was, "I'm certain that was the case." Now she gave the alien a faux puzzled frown. "Now that I think about it, the most interesting thing that occurred yesterday was the hug that Supergirl gave me when she found me."

"R-really? S-she hugged you?"

"Yes," she confirmed as she gazed up at Kara's face through the curtain of her lashes in a manner she'd calculated to draw Kara to her like a fly to a spider. "It felt very...how should I say this?  Well...I suppose it felt quite...erotic."

"W-what?!"

"Maybe that was the wrong way to put it.  I would definitively say it was a very tender, dare I say, romantic embrace, though."

When she heard the other woman gulp deeply, Lena decided to move in for the kill.  "While she hugged me, I noticed that she uses the same vanilla scented shampoo that you use...Kara, dear."

Now the blonde regarded her with 'a-deer-caught-in-the-headlights" expression on her terrified face. When the woman's mouth moved without issuing any sounds, the guardian angel on Lena's shoulder had slapped the little devil upside its head before pointing out to her charge that she'd just broken Kara and needed to fix the poor woman...NOW!

A wee bit ashamed at what she'd done, she took pity on the human...well, actually, sentient alien analogue of a puppy dog.  Lena actually had desired for the Kryptonian to come to the CEO in her own time rather than wresting the disclosure from her. 

"Of course, that, in and of itself doesn't really mean much," the CEO demurred.  "I'm certain there are plenty of women in this region of the country who use the same hair care product, wouldn't you agree?"

"Er...um...yeah. You're definitely right about that.  Ha! Ha! Wow...Lena...y-you really are...pretty...darned...observant, aren't you?"

"I suppose being both an engineer and a scientist would attest to that fact...darling."

Apparently the term of endearment had caught Kara off guard. "Um...uh...Y-yes...r-right you are."

Now, while she had Kara's undivided attention, she leaned over to place her doughnut down on a magazine laying on the surface of her coffee table and nonchalantly flashed a long glimpse of her bosom inside her low cut halter top for the Kryptonian's perusal.

After she'd put her 'girls' into play, Lena knew the blonde was impressed when she heard the Kryptonian whisper lowly the single word, "Wow!"

In response, she graced Kara with the sexiest lip bite in her repertoire, followed immediately by a smile calculated to be as seductive as the Devil's.

#

Once Lena, with a wicked smile on her face, had returned behind the closed doors of her office after she'd escorted a red-faced and flustered Kara to the elevators and had released Jess for the night, the sound of a woman's voice halted her dead in her tracks. "Lena Luthor of the Planet Earth, you should be ashamed of yourself for messing with that poor Kryptonian woman's mind like that even though it was funny as shit!"

She whirled and raised her ring to defend herself but stopped short at the sight of her intruder.

A few meters away stood a woman who looked to be about an inch or two shorter than Lena herself.  The woman's face looked young and her exposed skin well-tanned. Her hair was a golden blonde and she wore a metallic green choker around her neck, its color matching the hue of her eyes and it bore the insignia that was on Lena's uniform in the center of the choker. The intruder was garbed in a white body suit with a deeply cut V-neck that had built in cup support for the woman's breasts. The CEO had to admit they looked magnificent in that outfit considering they appeared to be about the same size as Lena's on a frame that was closer to Kara's. Around her thin waist, the woman wore a green mini-skirt that had a metallic sheen to it, the same sheen of her calf-length boots. She wore white gloves on both of her hands with green cuffs that encircled her wrists along with a gleaming emerald ring on the middle finger of her gloved right hand.

As she scrutinized the other woman, the intruder smiled.  "I see you're one of those cool, calm and collected ring-slingers. Apparently, you think before you shoot.  I can definitely work with that!  It's way more preferable than dealing with the hotheaded ones."

Lena simply nodded in response.  "Obviously, you're a Green Lantern, too."

"Give the lady a green star!" the other woman quipped, making Lena concerned that she'd run across someone who might actually give 'Sunny Danvers' a run for her money in the friendly disposition department.  "My name is Arisia Rrab from Graxos IV. I'm the Green Lantern of Sector 2815.  You're the Green Lantern who is now responsible for Sector 2814, the next sector over from mine. The Guardians of the Universe, the beings who are our bosses, sent me here to train you.  So...hello neighbor!"

Suddenly the sunny disposition faded away to be replaced by a focused expression as serious as a heart attack.

"Now..." Arisia snapped, "let's get to work!"

# 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The wonderful author "wordsarehard" inspired me to spice up this chapter a bit by adding Lena's infamous low cut leather outfit from the end of "The Luthors" episode. Please take a look at the author's "It Started with a Letter..." story. It is, without a doubt, the funniest Supercorp/Sanvers story on the site. Also Lena's inner voice is a great character in that story, too! 
> 
> As for _Dawn of Justice_ , thank you so so much for reading it! Critiques and reviews are always welcomed!


	3. “Obey Your Thirst”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara needs to check in with her sister about what happened in Lena's office earlier in the evening

“You started on the potstickers before I got here?”

“Couldn’t help it.” Of course, what Kara had actually said was garbled due to the food presently stuffed in her mouth.  Fortunately, Alex was an expert in ‘Kara-eating-like-the-WB's-Tasmanian-Devil’-speak. “I have got a lot on my mind.”

The DEO agent scooted onto the bench seat opposite her sister in the booth discretely located away from the servers and the few patrons who were still dining that late in the evening. She placed her purse on the table and reached for one of the dumplings on the huge platter near Kara.

Suddenly, Alex’s adopted sister narrowed her eyes at the DEO agent.  “If you don’t unhand that potsticker in two seconds, I will melt your face.”

Alex halted her motion immediately. She slowly withdrew her hand back to her side, somewhat relieved Kara’s eyes hadn’t begun to glow red yet. “What in the hell is the matter with you?” she snapped.  “You drag me out of my cozy apartment away from my hot girlfriend saying you need to talk and now you threaten my very life over a potsticker?!”

“I really love potstickers, Alex.  You of all people should know that by now!” the Kryptonian whined.

She glared at the alien with her patented ‘don’t-mess-with-your-big-sister’ look for several moments before Kara sighed and relented. 

“Okay, you can have some,” the younger woman grumbled. 

"Thank you," Alex said with a bit of snarkiness as she pulled one of her sister’s empty side dish plates in front of her and stacked four dumplings on it.  Then she gave Kara her full attention. “Now tell me...what's going on?”

Kara simply sighed heavily and remained silent for several moments. In response, Alex just sat there patiently waiting for her sister to spit the words out. 

Finally, her baby sister whispered, “An hour ago, I was at Lena’s office. We were sharing a bag of doughnuts and…”

Alex cocked her right eyebrow toward the ceiling.  “And?” she prodded.

“—and…we were talking about how Supergirl had flown to her rescue in the desert—”

“Uh huh.”

“And…hugged…her.”

“Say what?!”

Her sister gave her a look that reminded her of a puppy caught in the act of soiling one of her mistress’ slippers. “I couldn’t help it, Alex.  I was so worried about Lena, so afraid that Lillian had hurt her, when I saw she was okay, I-I…just couldn’t stop myself.”

“Jesus, Kara!” She closed her eyes for several seconds and tried to calm herself. Then it finally dawned on her why Kara had set up their meeting in the Chinese restaurant.  The cunning minx had wanted to be in a public space to ensure Alex wouldn’t blow her stack at the little idiot and could only whisper-yell at her baby sis.

She blinked. _Actually, she'd made a pretty decent strategic move here,_ the DEO agent mused to herself.

After taking a few cleansing breaths, she asked, “So…how did Lena take this show of affection from Supergirl?”

“Well…at first, she thought that the hug was very…erotic.”

“Shut the front door!”

For years, Alex had tried hard not to use real curse words in front of her sister.  They made Kara feel uncomfortable. So, being the nerds that they are, the siblings had agreed Alex could use made-up curse words from sci-fi cinema or TV and the Urban Dictionary in a pinch.

Now an anxious Kara whispered harshly, “Wait, Alex, there’s more!  Moments later, she backed down and said, she thought the hug was really more tender, maybe a touch…romantic.”

The DEO agent said nothing.  She simply blinked thrice.  _Well…shit,_ was the only thought that passed through her mind at that moment in time.

“Then she said that she noticed that the scent of Supergirl’s shampoo was the same as mine.”

“Mother Frakker!”

“But then she observed that thousands of women in this area could be using the same shampoo so that proved nothing.”

Alex's eyes rolled so hard in their head, they almost fell out of her skull and bounced on the surface of their table.  “Kara!  For God’s sakes!  She was frakking with you! She basically told you she knows you’re Supergirl!”

“You really think so?”

She regarded her sweet, innocent sister with wide-eyed astonishment. “Yes, Kara…that is exactly what I believe she did.”

“What do you think I should do about it?”

Alex Danvers sat there for a moment, completely and utterly stunned.  Considering how Kara had acted when she’d flown to rescue Lena a week ago, heedless of the certain death she’d faced if she’d been caught in the kryptonite explosion that had led to Metallo’s demise, the fact that her sister was still in denial about her feelings for the woman, was just…sad.  _Oh well,_ she mused gleefully. _I suppose it’s time to bring on the shock therapy!_

Now her face morphed into her patented ‘I-am-Death-Incarnate’ expression and she grunted, “You don’t have to do a damn thing.  I just need to go home, get my really cool alien gun, hunt that bitch down and blast the living crap out of her.”

“No, Alex!  You can’t hurt her!”

“Why the hell not?!” she whispered harshly. “That woman poses an unacceptable risk to our family and to you! Besides, if I do it right, there won’t be any evidence to link her disappearance to us.”

“No! You will not harm her!”

“Why not, Kara Zor-El?”

“Because I love her!”

"You what?! Do you wanna run that by me again?"

The silence of the moment was only disturbed by the harsh breathing of the younger woman. Then Alex spoke.  “So…you think you love Lena Luthor.”

#

Kara blinked several times as she tried to put aside her ‘defending-Lena-at-all-cost’ mode and process that Alex was no longer in her ‘defend-my-baby-sister-at-all-cost’ mode.  Then she saw the light. “You tricked me.”

Alex shook her head.  “No, I created an environment where you came to realize the truth for yourself.  J’onn, Winn and I knew it last week.  Kara, you never gave up on her.  You’ve always believed in her without question when everyone else, given the damning evidence against her, would have tossed her into prison and thrown away the key.  Finally, you risked your life to save her without a moment’s hesitation, as you would have done for mom or me.”

Kara said nothing.  She simply nodded while looking down at the surface of the table. She could still hear Lena’s voice from a week ago plead on her behalf to her wicked step-mother, _“Don’t hurt her!”_ And she remembered how her Kryptonian heart had almost burst from her chest when Lena had said, _“but you, Kara Danvers, you’re my hero!”_ She recalled how frightened Lena had looked when she was arrested, yet her focus was on making certain that Kara Danvers was safe rather than her own predicament.  Lena was just as much a hero as Supergirl, so…how could she not come to love her?

“Hey, hey, Kara…” Alex now said lowly, “look at me, please?”

When she glanced up at her sister she was met with a tender gaze.  “Loving someone is a good, beautiful thing.  You should never be ashamed of your feelings for her.”

Alex then reached out her hand to her.

Kara smiled and took her sister’s hand into hers.

They simply shared a quiet slice of time until Alex broke the silence by observing, “You know, if you can pull this off and hook up with her, a sultry CEO of a Fortune 500 company would be quite the catch.”

"Yeah, that’s tru—Hey, wait a second. You think Lena’s sultry?”

A dreamy smile dawned on Alex’s face then.  “Frak, yeah! I mean, come on! The woman is smoking hot!  Take those green eyes of hers, for instance, they’re absolutely fabulous, don’t you think?”

“W-well…er…y-yes, they are quite…beautiful.”

"They’re not just beautiful; they’re exceptional.”

“Alex…why did you mention her eyes? I mean, you really haven’t spent that much time with her.”

“That’s not true, Kara.  I looked her dead in the eyes after she shot Corben months ago.  Then I saw her spectacular eyes again when she came to your apartment and asked you to set up a meeting with Supergirl before her gala.” Then Alex shook her head and shivered. "Though, at first, when she walked through your front door and saw me standing there, if looks could kill, I'd been dead. It's a good thing you told her I was your sister 'cause I bet she was thinking of contracting a hit on me!"

“Alex! She would not do that! I've told you before, Lena's not evil. She'd never try to have anyone kill my sister!"

"Kara...she actually shot a guy in the back and missed hitting me by that much!" Alex argued while she held up her hand and her thumb and index finger were only separated by an inch or two. "Besides, she didn't know I was your sister until you told her so. When she entered the apartment and glared at me, I believe she thought I was your girlfriend and looked jealous as hell."

She shot a doubtful look at her sister. "I don't know about that, Alex. She did say you were the woman who'd saved her life when you both shook hands. Besides, that was pretty early in our friendship for her to feel anything for me that might make her jealous at the sight of another woman in my apartment."

"Is that a fact? All right, spacegirl, tell me, how the hell did she even know where your apartment was located? Did you tell her where you lived?"

"Er...um...now that you mention it, I don't believe I had told her that."

Alex nodded then asked, "And...do you remember telling me about the wonderful delicacy she'd served at her gala?"

"Of course, I do! Those were the best potstickers I've had in my entire life!"

"Right!" Alex whisper-shouted victoriously. "Somehow, she found out that potstickers are your favorite Earth food. Kara, I've never heard of anyone who'd allow Asian dumplings to be served at a formal occasion like that before. Frankly, now that I think about it, maybe I should look into how she found out where you lived and uncovered your obsession for potstickers."

"I don't know, Alex, I think you're way off base implying Lena was stalking me based on potstickers as supporting evidence for your theory. Why, I know for a fact that every time we dine at a Chinese restaurant, she always enjoys her potstickers as much as I do."

Alex sighed and shook her head. “Never mind, Oblivious-girl. Why don't we return to discussing her good qualities? I think we're on safer ground with that subject."

"Okay, Alex!"

"You know, I think another reason most people find her attractive is her whole aesthetic.”

“Her…aesthetic?”

“Yeah, you know…her silk blouses, her tailored pencil skirts, her dressed-to-kill designer stiletto heels, her perfectly coiffed hair, her ’Ivory Snow’ skin and those ruby red lips that just grab you by the throat and—“

"Please, for the love of Rao, stop! All right? Just stop! I mean—what is wrong with you?! You have your own girlfriend so you need to stay the hell away from mine! Look, Alex, you don’t get to perv out over Le—”

Suddenly, her rant slowly ground to a halt when she spied the pleased smirk on her sister’s face.

“You haven’t even kissed her yet and you’re already thirsty a.f. for her, aren’t you? Tell me, sis. Have you already started playing with married names in your mind, you know…Kara Luthor, Kara Danvers-Luthor, Mrs. Luthor…or are you still in the ‘ship name’ phase…hmm…maybe KarLena…no, that sounds too southern.  Wait!  How about SuperCorp?”

Now Kara narrowed her eyes dangerously at her sister.  “I hate you.”

“Good. Then my work here is done.”

“Actually, I didn’t mean that, Alex!  I really love you! And I guess I should thank you for helping me see the truth about my feelings for Lena.”

“I love you, too, Kara, and you’re welcome.”

“Um…so…I should talk to her, right?  See if she wants to go out on a date or something?”

“That sounds like a good first step.”

“Then what should I do as my second step?”

Her sister took several more potstickers from Kara’s pile and the Kryptonian forced herself to be gracious and allowed the elder woman to steal the food right off her plate.  

Then Alex looked her in the eye and drawled, “Simply obey your thirst, Kara.  The rest will follow.”

#

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I get to the Exodus chapter, I will go in a different direction than canon due to some common sense advice I saw in a review of the episode. If the safety of the registered aliens was so important (and it was), why didn't Supergirl simply go to the mayor and ask to use the emergency broadcasting system to get the word out rather than using Kara's reporter's identity at CatCo? She needed to think like a public servant rather than a newspaper reporter in this instance because the message would have gone out on ALL media channels in the city, simultaneously. And what mayor would turn down the woman who had single-handedly saved all sentient life on Earth during Myriad? Plus, she really could have rubbed Snapper's nose in it by giving the exclusive to the Daily Planet on how Supergirl had stopped the Cadmus starship from forcibly and illegally deporting registered aliens from Earth. I could see Cat Grant going ballistic when Kara told her that Supergirl had been so miffed at the treatment she'd received from Snapper that the hero was happy to give the exclusive to Clark Kent and might give him more exclusives in the future! Cat would certainly unsheathe her claws to show Snapper that blowing off Supergirl was a bad thing to do for CatCo.  
> ***Rant over***
> 
> Thank you so so much for reading! Critiques and reviews are welcomed!


	4. “An Alien Nerd Asks a Science Geek out on a Date and...”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena learns about the history of the Corps and the capabilities of the ring. Then she receives an intriguing phone call.

“Thank you for escorting me home, Agent Faraday.”

“It was our pleasure, Ms. Luthor.  Once I take the elevator down, we’ll activate our surveillance and countermeasures.  No one, even that Cyborg Henshaw, could stand up to what we have in the weapon pods we’ve hidden in the hallway leading to your elevator.”

“Well…I certainly feel quite secure since you’ve started protecting me.  Thanks again and have a pleasant evening.”

“Thank you, ma’am.  Sleep well.”

Moments after she’d closed the front door, she strode into her kitchen and flicked on the lights.  She slipped out of her high heels then mentally called her Lantern instructor. _Arisia, we’re finally alone.  You can come out now._

The other woman appeared to fade into view from the very ether itself. “Ring fractals are pretty handy, wouldn’t you agree?”

It amazed Lena to see the young-looking woman standing in her kitchen.  The alien looked…so human.  Well, Kara looked quite human, too, but there was something about the Kryptonian's beauty that almost seemed divine, along the lines of an Ancient Greek goddess.  Arisia was also attractive but her beauty wasn’t as otherworldly as Kara’s.  The Green Lantern of Sector 2815 reminded Lena of the early twenty-something beach bunnies who strutted their stuff on Venice Beach.

Now the alien with the tanned skin stood there holding Abin Sur’s power battery in her left hand. “We need to recharge your ring so I might as well teach you the oath.”

“All right, what should I do?”

“You hold your ring directly in front of the charging port like this,” Arisia indicated by making a fist with her ring hand and holding her fist nearly inside the lantern’s flared cowl.  Lena mimicked the other woman’s stance, her fist next to Arisia’s.  “That’s good.  Now repeat after me.”

_In brightest day_

_In blackest night_

_No evil shall escape my sight_

_Let those who worship evil’s might_

_Beware my power_

_Green Lantern’s light!_

Suddenly, the power battery emitted an emerald energy pulse that flowed into both rings and throughout their bodies.

“Whoa!” Lena exclaimed, tingling from the power that surged through her entire being.

“Yeah,” Arisia sighed.  I never grow tired of feeling that rush!”

“Hey, are you hungry?” Lena asked.

“Something light would really take the edge off.  If you have any fruits or vegetables, those would work for me.”

Lena smiled.  Obviously her fellow Lantern’s metabolism was closer to her own than Kara’s.  Considering Kara’s diet, she wondered if that girl would even recognize a vegetable if she saw one! “Coming right up!”

A few minutes later, after Lena had sliced some veggies, fruits, and cheese and placed them on a large platter, she poured two glasses of grape juice while Arisia scanned the food with her ring, apparently to determine what items were edible for her. Then the other woman took a piece of cantaloupe and bit into it. “Oh…Lena! This tastes so good!”

“I’m happy you think so,” she noted before she sipped a little grape juice from her own glass.

“Well, I think I can give you an overview of the Corps while we eat.” Arisia took a second bite, smiled happily and took a seat on one of the island stools across from Lena.

Then she began to tell her tale.  “In the early days of the Universe, a humanoid race arose on the planet Maltus around 8 billion years ago. This race evolved rapidly and became the most advanced technological society in the entire Universe. Soon thereafter, these peaceful virtual gods and goddesses became immortal.”

“However, one day, a renegade scientist of theirs conducted a forbidden experiment that opened the door for evil, a malevolent entity from a dead universe where it had been responsible for destroying all life there, to enter our Universe. After they imprisoned the renegade, the members of that race moved to the world they now live on, Oa, and took on the mantle of the Guardians of the Universe to atone for what their renegade had done.”

“The Guardians studied the effect the malevolent force had on less advanced beings over many millennia. 3.5 billion years ago, the Guardians decided to create a race of advanced androids as a universal police force to stop the spread of evil in the hopes they could finally contain the entity and expel it from the Universe.  These androids were called the Manhunters.”

“Hmm…I think I see where this part of the story is going,” Lena said.  “Let me guess, the androids tired of their servant role under the Guardians and decided to go all Terminator on their creators.”

Arisia gave her a puzzled look.  “Terminator?  What’s that?”

She nodded.  “It’s from one of our more popular entertainment vehicles nearly thirty years ago. Humans fear that we may lose control of our own technology, have it turn on us and attempt to displace us.”

“Ah, I see!  Well your intuition was correct.  The Manhunters rebelled and fought a millennia long war that culminated with an attack on Oa herself.  Ultimately, the beings that had never experienced a war amongst themselves learned to wield their tremendous power. They defeated the androids, stripped them of the power the Guardians had gifted to them and banished them to the depths of endless space. The reason I tell you of these creatures is that, at times, a Lantern may cross paths with one. If you ever have the misfortune of doing so, take great care because they will try to kill you to steal your ring.”

“Wonderful,” Lena noted drolly, “more people out there who hate me and want to kill me. Oh well, the more the merrier I say!”

“You are a courageous woman, Lena Luthor.  I am proud to be your instructor.”

She smiled at the other woman.  “Thank you, Arisia.  You know, you sound just like my friend, Kara. Here, on this world, my family has done some awful things and I have been trying to change how people think about my family name. The one person who’s always supported me in my mission is that Kryptonian woman you saw in my office. She has always believed in me, even when I had to trick her into thinking I had sided with my evil step-mother so I could stop my mother from killing innocent people.”

“You are willing to do what’s difficult, what’s necessary even at tremendous cost to yourself.  That is why the ring chose you, Lena.”

While she blushed from Arisia’s words of encouragement, the other woman simply smiled and said, “Let me tell you about the ring.”

“After the Guardian’s failure with the Manhunters, they decided to choose living beings who possessed both freewill and strong moral character. To assist their Chosen, the Guardians created the Power Ring, an artifact of nearly inconceivable technology. The rings allow us to project emerald beams of energy into almost any object of any shape or size, limited only by our imagination and willpower.”

“The Guardians entrusted these rings to 3600 beings, one from each sector of the Universe.  These rings allow their bearers to transverse the vast depths of space almost instantaneously.  With them, we can survive in any environment and travel through hyperspace to any point in the Universe in mere seconds or minutes as you perceive time.  With a mere thought, the ring allows you to phase through solid objects. The ring will try to protect you from anything it or you perceive may harm you.  However, even with such a wondrous device, it is possible that enough force can be brought to bear against you that would penetrate your defenses and either render you unconscious or kill you.”

Lena stared at the other woman for a few moments, her mind absorbing all of the incredible things Arisia had told her.  “These rings…they’re incredible weapons.”

The alien nodded.  “They’re the most powerful weapons in the Universe,” Arisia said proudly.

“Could the ring restrain someone as powerful as Superman?”

“It can…with the right wielder. There are experienced Lanterns who couldn’t stop Superman single-handedly.  Working as a team they might be able to do it.  Mogo, though, could handle both of your Kryptonians while simultaneously dealing with the battle fleets of the most advanced star-faring nations.  If there is something that is almost as powerful as a Guardian, Mogo would be it.”

“So this Mogo—he sounds like a formidable fellow."

“Well, actually, 'she's' not really a person.  Mogo’s a planet!”

“Say what?!”

Arisia grinned.  “It’s a mobile, sentient planet about the size of the planet Jupiter in your solar system.”

“That’s…that’s unbelievable!”

“Well, you need to believe it because I’m certain Mogo will want to meet you since you’re the first Terran in the Corps. If you’d like, you can even go visit him with your Kryptonian. Mogo would be happy to accommodate you both in any of the thirty ecosystems that exist on the surface of Mogo.”

“Arisia…Kara…well, she’s not ‘my’ Kryptonian.  We’re simply good friends, nothing more.”

“Where has my courageous trainee gone?” the other Green Lantern teased.  “Lena, don’t worry.  The way she reacted to you when she found you unharmed in the desert—”

“Hey!” she exclaimed, interrupting the other woman. “How did you know about that?”

Arisia gave her an incredulous look.  “I was right there in the office with you when you teased her about it!  Just because I was invisible doesn’t mean my ears stopped working! Anyway, as I was saying, the way she reacted, I just bet she’s no longer adorably oblivious about what you truly mean to her.”

“I don’t kn—” Just then the trill of her smart phone cut her off.  She glanced down at the device’s screen and saw there was an incoming call from Kara Danvers.

She cradled the phone in her hand, murmured, “Excuse me,” to Arisia and swiped her index finger across the screen before she brought the phone up to her ear.

As she padded toward her bedroom, she answered, “Hello, Kara.”

 _“Hi, Lena”_ the blonde said, her voice filled with sunshine. _“I’m not disturbing you, am I?”_

“No, don’t be silly. I’m always available to you.”

_“Well…I was wondering, if you’d like, if you aren’t busy, of course…would you like to come over to my place tomorrow for dinner?  I’ll cook it myself and everything for you.”_

“I’m a bit surprised, Kara,” she teased.  “Considering all of the take-out that you eat, I was beginning to think you didn’t know how to use an oven.”

 _“I can cook!”_ the other woman yelped over the phone reminding Lena of a startled puppy. Then in a calmer tone of voice, Kara said, _"I'll grill some steaks, bake a few potatoes and steam some broccoli."_

Lena then bit her lower lip and smiled. “Kara…are you asking me out on a date?”

 _“Yes, if you have the courage!”_ the Kryptonian said, her voice in an impressively deeper register and her phrasing stilted and filled with unnecessary pauses.

Lena laughed.  “Well, how can I turn down such a charming invitation when it was presented in a shockingly good imitation of Captain Kirk from the “Squire of Gothos” episode?”

She could almost hear Sunny Danvers’ smile through her speaker.  _“I knew you’d get that impression.  You know for such a gorgeous woman, you’ve certainly got your geek on!”_

She could feel her heartbeat speed up then. _She thinks I’m gorgeous?! She should gaze into the mirror sometime to see something truly gorgeous!_ Then she drew several calming breaths and observed, “Well, it takes one to know one…nerd!”

Kara responded with her joyful laugh and Lena nearly swooned.  _Who knew that Kara Danvers has got game? How delightful,_ she mused inwardly. _“Thank you for accepting my dinner invitation for our date tomorrow, Lena. I assure you my intentions are honorable.”_

She pursed her lips at that. _Damn it!_ she thought.

_“I want to discuss something that’s very important to me, something I wanted to share with you after you stopped your mother’s scheme.  I was just…well it took me a little time to realize the truth about what I was feeling…for you.”_

She nearly dropped the phone.  Was Kara saying that she was going to reveal her secret to her and tell her she likes her more than a friend? her mind screamed. Of course, she was Lena Luthor, and she couldn’t allow herself to lose her cool like a love-sick teen ager.  That simply wouldn’t do.  So she gathered herself and purred, “Well, you certainly know how to pique a girl’s interest!” Then she lowered her voice, hoping it would let Kara know how touched she was by Kara’s words.  “Kara, please know that anything that is important to you, is important to me, too.”

_“Er…um…that’s awesome, Lena!  Thank you!  Well, it’s late, so I better let you go.  Is 7:00 pm okay?”_

Lena shot a glimpse through her bedroom door to see the other Lantern was grinning from ear to ear. She sighed and said, “That’ll be perfect, darling.  Do you want me to bring anything with me?”

_“Just you in that little black dress you wore to the gala.  I’ll have your favorite wine chilled and waiting for you.”_

_Where the hell did this smooth-talking Kara Danvers come from?_ she wondered, while the heat in her nether regions was rapidly increasing from the slow burn she normally had whenever she was talking to or with Kara to a raging fire. “As you wish, my dear.”

_“That was from the_ Princess Bride _, right?  I love that movie!”_

She laughed. “I’m afraid we spend far too much time watching movies that appeal to nerds and geeks!”

_“All I know is I love watching anything when I watch it with you.”_

_Oh my God…I’ve got to end this call before she has me shedding tears at how sweet she is,_ she thought.  “I can’t wait until I see you tomorrow night, darling.  Sleep well.”

_“Sweet dreams, Lena.  Goodbye!”_

“Bye,” she whispered and disconnected the call.

When she rejoined Arisia in the kitchen, the other woman had a gagging expression on her face.

“What’s wrong?”

Her fellow Lantern tried to scrub some cheese off of her tongue with her teeth.  “That pliable stuff tastes horrible!”

She smirked.  “I suppose it’s an acquired taste.”

“I’m sure…kind of like that Kryptonian hottie of yours.  If you both weren't so awkward and adorable, you'd be sickening! Yet, I was right before, you know. I told you she’d come around and there she was asking you out on a date, all large and in charge!”

“I guess you _were_ right about…say, how were you able to hear all of that?! I didn't think our conversation had been that loud.”

In response, Arisia simply swiveled her head to one side, swept some of her golden hair up with the fingers of her right hand and uncovered a very elegant pointed ear that reminded Lena of Arwen’s from the Lord of the Rings movies.

“Even if you were a hundred of your meters away from me, I could still hear you just fine, Lena Luthor.”

#

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so much for reading! Critiques and reviews are welcomed!


	5. Training Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena begins her training in earnest.

Chapter 5

“I knew I should have stayed in bed this morning,” Lena Luthor grumbled lowly to herself.

“Why would you say that?! It’s a joy to wake up every day when you’re in the Corps!”

Lena nearly rolled her eyes at the woman.  _Yes, ma’am, Sgt. Apone,_ she mused to herself. _Where’s a face-hugger when you need one?_

They’d been under the hot Mojave Desert sun since nine. During the first three hours, Arisia had been teaching Lena hand-to-hand combat. She had shown her techniques that had been developed for the humanoid members of the Corps. Then Arisia showed Lena how to use the ring to strengthen her blows to be able to take down aliens who were many times stronger than a human being.

Then they’d moved on to working on Lena’s control of her ring’s projections.  For the first test, Arisia had set up dozens of balloons that she’d fastened to the ground about two meters behind the Luthor and two feet above her head. 

“All right, Baby Lantern,” the golden skinned woman teased while the pale skinned Lantern narrowed her eyes at the woman in annoyance.  Lena really hated when she called her that! “I’m going to fire ring projected daggers at the balloons.  At no time will you be in any danger because I don’t miss.  You are to use your ring to create pincers that will pluck the daggers out of the air before they reach their targets.  Got it?”

“I understand.”

“Okay then. Ready or not, here they come!” Just as Arisia raised her ring hand, she snapped.  “Remember, no blanket shielding! You gotta catch each one with your pincers!”

Soon, seven daggers were generated by the alien’s ring and launched downrange Lena’s way. When they were about two meters away from the Luthor, she willed seven pincers to flash from her ring and managed to snatch each dagger out of the sky.

“Like that?” she asked with a broad grin on her sweat-stained face.

Arisia grunted. “Not bad for a rookie, though, the one on your far left almost reached its target. So, don’t get cocky!”

#

She stood as still as a statue, blindfolded, while her ring projection of a spoon held an egg. Meanwhile, Arisia apparently was dropping boulders all around her that must have weighed at least several tons because Lena could feel the shuddering vibrations under her feet from each impact.

“Now you’d better not let anything happen to that egg, Baby Lantern, if you know what’s good for you! If it cracks, if it falls, we’ll just pick another one out of their container and start again.  Oh, and the big rocks will drop a little closer to you each time we have a do-over.”

Lena sighed.  She wasn’t really frightened by Arisia’s little show.  It took a lot to shake her, given she was the CEO of a Fortune 500 company who had to deal with ruthless old men who wanted her to fail so they could remove her from her position, not to mention her crazy, alien-hating brother who wanted her dead, and her wicked, alien-hating step-mother who left her for dead when mom’s little science project exploded, nearly killing both Kara and Lena. Besides, if Arisia killed her, Lena knew there would be hell to pay with their bosses.

Moreover, she figured the alien beach bunny wouldn’t want to fill out all the paperwork the Guardians would require if she managed to off their first Terran ring-slinger.

Then another thought crossed her mind.

“Where in the hell did she find such huge rocks in the freaking desert?”

#

“Hey, Baby Lantern, I know it may be hard for you ‘brainiac’ types to dumb things down most of the time. However, sometimes a plain old brick will get the job done.  In Lantern terms that means you shouldn’t conjure up an intricate construct when a good, old fashioned energy bolt will do. Now I’m gonna toss a target as high into the air as I can and I want you to blast it with the most powerful energy bolt you can muster.  I want you to hit it at apogee before it starts to fall back to earth.”

“All right.”

“Okay, here goes and make damn certain you aim that thing up toward the sky and not at me.  You’ll be getting no cheap shots today, missy!”

Lena didn’t even bother to dignify her instructor’s comment with a response. She wouldn’t allow the little alien’s diatribe to serve as a distraction to her.

“Pull!” Arisia yelled then flung an object up into the sky.

The Luthor sighted along the knuckle of her middle finger and almost lost her focus when her target turned out to be a stuffed Tweety-Bird toy in all of its sexually ambiguous, yellow-feathered glory.

“Whatever,” a smirking Lena muttered. “Bye-bye, birdie!” Then a bolt of sizzling emerald energy pulsed from the face of her ring and struck the toy. Instantaneously, her beam obliterated the bird, leaving no traces of it.

“Holy Triple-Fish God!” Lena’s instructor exclaimed.

“That actually felt pretty good,” Lena observed.

“Er…um…yes, it was…adequate.”

Lena turned to her fellow Lantern, cocked her right eyebrow wryly, and smirked.

#

“What kind of cut do you call that?!”

Lena shot her instructor with a hard look after she’d almost suffered an aneurism from all the concentration it took for her to take a piece of raw carbon and use the ring to fashion it into a diamond. “It’s an emerald cut.  Most people may purchase round or oval diamonds but I’ve always liked this cut over those.”

“Okay, but didn’t I say I wanted the damn thing to have sixteen facets? Or was I just dreaming?”

Lena had just about had enough from this alien…pixie! “Count again.”

Her instructor examined the gem closely. Then she smiled. “Oh…the sixteenth facet is the one on top of the stand.  I’m sorry about that, Lena.”

“You’re actually apologizing to me, a Baby Lantern?” Lena snarked.

Arisia simply shrugged. “A Lantern’s integrity must always be above reproach. If we’re wrong, we should do the right thing and admit it. If the citizens in our sectors ever begin to believe we don’t stand for truth and justice, the Corps has failed its mission.”

Lena blinked twice.  She had to admit that, even after the smaller woman had knocked her on her ass all morning and had strained her physical and mental abilities to the brink, Lena could tell she’d improved tremendously after only a single day of training. “That’s good to know, Arisia. Thank you.”

“Ah…now, don’t get soft on me, Brainiac! Besides, I don’t want to get in the way of you working things out with your Kryptonian, so I’m going to do you a favor and cut your instruction time short for today.  There is just one, fairly easy exercise left to do before I cut you loose for the day.”

Lena smiled gratefully at her fellow Lantern.  “Thank you, Arisia. You’re a good egg.”

#

Half-way through the agony of using her ring to create a construct that allowed Lena to carry several tons of boulders over her head while balancing on the tops of poles that created a pathway between  two mini-mesas, Lena spoke lowly. “Arisia, you're a crazy bitch! How in...the...hell...can you...call this...‘fairly easy?!”

“I heard that!”

“Good! I wanted you to!”

#

After the pair had returned to Lena’s home by phasing through the wall so Lena’s keepers wouldn’t detect them, the Luthor mumbled to Arisia to help herself to whatever was in the refrigerator while she entered her master suite to prepare for her date.  She took a nice, hot shower that served to relieve some of her aches and pains and reinvigorated her soul.

After she’d finished showering, she applied her make up and put on the dress that Kara had requested, along with her favorite two banded gold choker, diamond studs, and three inch heeled CFM pumps.

When she entered the kitchen, Arisia grinned. “Wow, you look hot in that dress!  If I was into ladies, though I assure you I’m not, I’d date you.”

She just stared at the other woman.  It was a bit difficult for her to fathom how this person with a personality that, at times, could give Sunny Danvers a run for her money in the ‘Nicest Person in the Universe’ contest, could also be the bitch queen who ruled the Ninth Circle of Hell.

Arisia smirked at her then. “I think I know what you’re thinking—how can she be so nice yet so evil?”

“Well…yes, actually.”

“Lena, I _am_ a nice person normally. I’m sure you are, too, even when you’re at your company.  However, if you had an employee who embezzled company funds, you wouldn’t be so nice when you had to deal with that person, would you?”

She shook her head. “Of course not! That person would have breached the company’s trust and should be terminated and prosecuted.”

“Well, we Lanterns, in most cases, are the only peace officers in many sectors of the Universe. We hunt down and capture psychopaths, murderers, and genocidal maniacs. These creeps won’t play nice and they certainly won’t play fair. I train you hard because I want you to be prepared to take them down and survive.  Being a hero is difficult, dangerous work.  Most people don’t have the stones to do this job. You do, though.  We just have to hone you into being the best Green Lantern you can be.  If we succeed, I know you’ll become that force of good you’ve always wanted to be.”

As Lena pondered the alien’s words, Arisia snapped into her beach bunny persona again. “Now you’d better get going! You don’t want to be late for your date with your gorgeous Kryptonian!”

“All right, I’m going.”

“Just remember, I want us to start about the same time we did this morning, so if you stay overnight…”

“Hey!  I don’t want to rush Kara.”

“Oh please! I know you want to because you didn’t even try to deny it!”

She glared at the other woman.  “I loathe you.”

“Oh joy! That means my work here is done.”

“Oh! You’re just...impossible!” Lena snapped as she started for the front door. Then she slowed to a halt, her back still facing Arisia.

“Lena, what’s wrong?”

The Luthor turned to face the other Lantern. “If Kara tells me her secret, tells me she wants to take our relationship to the next level…should I tell her my secret, too?”

“Do you love her?”

She bit her lip then smiled.  “I do.  She’s sweet, so kind.  She always accepted me as an individual not ‘a Luthor.’  You know, she was my hero, my only hope when the darkness was all around me. And that’s how I felt about her before I stumbled upon the fact she’s also a superhero.”

“Then if I were you and she tells you what you hope to hear, I would tell her.”

A slow smile dawned on Lena’s face.  “Thank you, Arisia. Oh, and I take back what I said about you in desert.”

“Forget about it! If I wasn’t a pain in your hindquarters, I wouldn’t be doing my job!  Now go!”

Lena waved then turned to stride toward the front door.  While Arisia kept out of sight, Lena opened the door and closed it softly behind her.

When Arisia was certain Lena was truly gone, she lifted her ring toward her face and spoke into it. “Lantern Arisia to Guardians.”

_“We hear you, Arisia.”_

“Something remarkable happened today.  The yellow impurity had absolutely no effect on Lantern Lena Luthor.”

_“Truly?”_

“Yes.  I am transmitting a recording of her performance for your review.”

There was silence for several moments before the Guardians spoke again.  _“Indeed, she may be the one. Stay with her, Arisia, for an Earth month and continue to train her. We will have the Lantern of Sector 2816 patrol your sector until you complete her training.”_

“Understood.  Arisia, over and out.”

#

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so much for reading! Critiques and reviews are welcomed!


	6. Date Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara and Lena share a good meal, some secrets and clear the air between them.

Kara didn’t even bother to use her x-ray vision when she heard someone knock on her front door.  She knew it was Lena and, as usual, the other woman was punctual.  She opened it and smiled while both of her cheeks blushed when she took in the sight of Lena Luthor in her sexy little black dress and stiletto heels.  Kara’s heart then began to patter faster when she realized that Lena’s hair was down. The woman's mahogany colored hair framed Lena's 'Ivory Snow' skinned face so perfectly. It smoothed the hard edges of Lena's jaw-line and made Kara long to run her fingers gently through Lena's soft hair. When it was down like this, although seemingly impossible, Lena was even more beautiful in Kara's eyes.

"Hello, Kara," Lena purred after the woman had bit her lip and smiled back at the Kryptonian.

Kara stared at the other woman’s adorable lips for a few seconds before she realized she ought to invite her guest inside.  “Hey, Lena!” she exclaimed and motioned for the brunette to enter her home.  “Thank you for accepting my dinner invitation.”

“Well, darling, you had made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

“Er…right!” Kara responded, her acute sense of smell nearly overwhelmed by both Lena’s perfume and the essence of the woman herself. Then she realized she needed to gather her wits and focus on Lena's exquisite face.  “You look beautiful as always!”

“So do you, Ms. Danvers,” Lena observed as her green eyes scanned the green dress with black trim that Kara had worn when CatCo had the party to celebrate having Supergirl on the cover of the magazine from a year ago along with a pair of her own CFM pumps.

“Thank you,” a demure Kara said before her skin furrowed above her eyeglasses. “You didn’t bring a coat with you?”

Lena blinked twice before she responded.  “Um…you know the day was so warm, I didn’t think I needed one!”

“Well, as the evening wears on, if you get cold I’ll give you one of mine to wear before you go home.”

She smiled at the blonde.  “That’s so sweet!  Thank you, Kara.”

“Pfft! No problem! By the way, I’m using an indoor grill for the steaks.  Why don’t you have a seat on one of my island stools while I pour you a glass of wine?”

“That sounds lovely, darling.”

While Kara prepared their meal, they simply talked about art, music, science and a whole range of topics. During their conversation, there was no fidgeting of hands by either woman, which was unusual for the two of them.  Right now, the connection between them just hummed pleasantly due to the passion they shared for each other.

#

After dinner, Lena helped Kara clear the table and place the dishes in the dishwasher. Then they refilled their goblets with a little more wine and settled down on Kara’s couch.

“Kara, thank you for cooking such a wonderful meal for me. I have to admit I’m surprised you cook so well and I’m sorry that I teased you regarding your culinary skills.”

 “You’re welcome and I didn’t mind the teasing. I kind of like it when it comes from you. You’ve never been mean to me like some of the kids were when I grew up with my sister Alex in Midvale.”

The look on Lena’s face grew sober before she glanced downward. “You’re too kind, Kara, but we both know that isn’t true.  I can’t believe I said those terrible things about you after you told me my mother was the head of Cadmus.”

The blonde sighed. She hesitated only for a moment before she slowly reached up to her face with her right hand and removed her glasses. “Lena…I understood how difficult for you that must have been to hear. When someone who’d been close to me on Krypton had told me my mother had used me to lure that person into a trap, I didn’t believe it at first. But it had been true. No one wants to believe a parent is capable of doing awful things.”

Lena gazed at Kara with a look of wonder. “Oh. My. God. I can’t believe you just said what you'd said about Krypton.  But...without your glasses…I can see it now.  Kara Danvers…is…Supergirl.”

Kara stuck her tongue out at the other woman before she laughed heartily. “Since I know you already knew, if that’s your poker face, you’re in big trouble when you start coming to the Danvers’ weekly game night!” Then she regained her composure and gave Lena a thoughtful look.  “I’m curious—what gave me away?”

“To be truthful, I just realized it when you hugged me in the desert.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Supergirl and Kara both smell the same. I savored your scent after we hugged last week the day after you'd rescued me from the bunker. Then when I smelled Supergirl…well I knew.”

“Interesting.  So you actually recalled Kara Danvers’ scent from a whole week ago well enough so you could compare it to Supergirl’s?”

Lena’s smile matched Kara’s then. “Well…I suppose that’s true.”

Kara nodded.  “I see.  Well…I suppose that’s,” she smiled at Lena when she parroted the dark-haired woman’s words back to her, “—I mean to say—what do I smell like?” she asked, her voice earnest.

The Luthor paused for a moment. Then a lovely smile dawned on her face."Heaven…you smell like heaven.”

A tiny smile formed on Kara’s lips. “Lena…there’s something else I wanted to tell you. I care for you…deeply… in more than just ‘a friend’ way.”

A broad grin broke out on Lena’s face then. “Oh thank God!!” Now she took Kara’s free hand into hers and studied the younger woman's face for several moments. "You know, Kara, I never had even family care about me like you do.  My father, who it turns out is my biological father, loved me dearly but he was often away on business and I didn't get to have him in my life as much as I'd like.  So I spent a lot of time with my step-mother and Lex.  At best, Lillian was indifferent to me...but I suppose I can't fault her. She told me every time she looked at me she saw the woman who'd had an affair with her husband. However, Lex made up for how mom treated me. He was a great brother to me back then. He made my life with the Luthors bearable.  Yet, when he became rabidly anti-alien I was shocked because he and Clark were so close during our time in Smallville.”

“Wait a second,” Kara asked, “you knew Clark when he was younger?”

Lena gave the blonde a tiny smirk.  “Of course I did, _a rúnsearc_. Actually, I’m surprised the big lug didn’t recognize me when you both came to my office after the _Venture_ incident. You should know that Lex knew Clark's secret all those years ago and shared it with me. So when I teased Clark about having some ‘steel under that Kansas wheat,' I think your cousin realized I knew his secret, too.’”

“Wow! I have to admit that passed right over my head.  So if you knew he was Superman all the time, why didn’t you suspect I was Supergirl?”

“Well, Jonathan and Martha were his parents and I knew they weren’t aliens. And Kara Danvers never came out and said she was related to him; remember, you'd said you were basically tagging along with him, so I had no reason to suspect you.”

Kara nodded. “Lena, the term you used earlier. What does it mean?”

The dark haired woman’s gaze flicked up and to her right for a moment.  Then she locked her green eyes onto Kara’s azure ones. “It’s Irish.  I picked it up when I went to boarding school in Ireland for a few years.  It means…’beloved.’"

“Oh.” Then the blonde’s eyes shot wide open and her cheeks flushed brightly. “Oh!”

“Darling, I know my last name has a lot of baggage that goes with it, not to mention what Lex had done and my mother is willing to do to aliens. But I really care for you Kara Danvers, so…so very much. I want to go out with you on dates, eat lunches in my office with you, share dinner with you and I’d really love to kiss you.  But if you want the same, I want no secrets between us. I want us to be a team in every sense of the word.” Lena smiled gently at the other woman, unclasped their hands then stood up. "There is something I need to share with you."

Suddenly, an emerald ring on the middle finger of the brunette's right hand became visible and Lena pointed the face of it at herself. Then there was a flash of green light. Now, Lena stood before her dressed in a green uniform trimmed in black. In the center of her chest above her impressive bust line was a raised white oval with the insignia of the agents of the Guardians of the Universe. Then Kara's hungry gaze panned down Lena's form and admired how the verdant portion of the other woman's uniform covered her curvaceous body while the ebony section flowed smoothly over Lena's shapely hips and a portion of green barely restrained the Luthor's thicc af booty. 

“Surprise?!”

Kara blinked thrice. _Holy Rao! She looks hot as frak in that skin-tight uniform,_ the Kryptonian mused to herself. Then she whispered reverently.  “Oh, Rao…Lena…you’re a Green Lantern!”

“Yes.  This is the reason why I disappeared into the desert. My predecessor’s ship crash landed out in the middle of nowhere and he was dying. The ring sought a replacement for him and it chose…me.”

Kara rose from her spot on the couch and wrapped Lena up in a tender hug.  “The Guardians' ring only confirms what I knew from the very day I met you. You, Lena Luthor, are a hero. You know, you were the one who helped me figure out my calling, the way I could make a difference as Kara. That was so important to me. Although Supergirl is what I do, Kara is who I am.”

“Kara Danvers?”

The Kryptonian gently pressed her forehead against Lena’s.  “No. I am Kara Zor-El, the head of the last great house of Krypton,” she said both with a sense of formality and pride in her voice. “That is my birth name, Lena Luthor.”

“It’s a beautiful name, _a rúnsearc_. So, you’re okay with this…with me being a Green Lantern...with us being... together?”

“When I was a child, I saw a Green Lantern once on Starhaven when my father had taken me there.  Knowing that there were beings who protected the innocent from those who would do evil, made me feel…safe then.  Now, although I must admit I don’t ever want to see you get hurt by anyone, who am I to stand in the way of your destiny? Lena, I cannot think of anyone better to wear that ring than you.”

“Thank you, Kara,” the other woman whispered as a few tears trailed downward from the corner of her eyes.

The two women were so close now they were breathing the same air. “Lena…on my home world…gender wasn’t really a factor in who we chose to love. Actually, it wasn't a factor in how we procreated. We used a birthing matrix that genetically combined the DNA of the parents to produce our offspring. It assured our children were genetically perfect.”

“That's remarkable!" Lena exclaimed while Kara tried hard not to roll her eyes. Even though Lena was a powerful businesswoman, at heart she was still a science geek. "As for this lowly human," Lena teased, "I’ve had relationships with men in the past…but I prefer women when the feeling’s right.”

“Is the feeling right for you now?”

“Oh, yes,” Lena hissed.

“In that case…Lena, may I kiss you?”

“Kara, I would love nothing more.”

Kara closed the short distance between them and captured Lena’s lips with her own. The kiss they shared was soft, languid, yet heated and passionate. It felt like a promise they’d both made to cherish each other forever.

Moments later, the kiss ended far too soon for Kara's liking. Then she chuckled lowly.

'That’s an interesting reaction to a kiss that just curled my toes, Kara Zor-El,” Lena teased, her skin radiant.

“I’m just glad I wasn’t so over-eager that I broke your nose. Unfortunately, that’s happened to me before,” the blonde admitted.

Lena gave Kara a mock look of outrage.  “I’ll have you know we Luthors are made of sterner stuff than your average human!  I assure you I can take anything you can dish out, my dear!”

“All right then, baby,” Kara purred.  “I’d suggest you buckle up cuz you’re in for the ride of your life!”

Suddenly, within the blink of an eye, Kara had them both back on the couch. Now Lena was seated on the cushions while the Super straddled the Luthor’s lap. It was then that their fiery gazes locked onto the other's right before Kara hungrily attacked Lena's mouth with hers. Answering in kind, the brunette teased the blonde's lips open and swept her tongue inside to caress Kara's.

Their passion continued unabated and Kara lost all sense of time. She was so caught up in the sensations of kissing and caressing her new love that she nearly couldn't control herself for a brief moment so she could tell Lena what her heart needed to say. Reluctantly, she broke the kiss and brought her lips to suckle softly on Lena's neck. Then she murmured, "Oh, Rao...your scent...it smells...it smells like..."

"Say it, darling."

Kara's nostrils flared when she stared into her lover's eyes. "You smell like...home."

Lena's response was a sensual groan just before she drew her Supergirl into another soul kiss.

#

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this story! Reviews, critiques or comments are welcome!


	7. Red Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A late night intruder brings Kara some disturbing news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song in this chapter is _Not the Only One_ written by Paul Brady and sung by Bonnie Raitt.

_I was in a daze, movin’ in the wrong direction_

_Feelin’ that I’d always be the lonely one_

_Then I saw your face, on the edge of my horizon_

_Whisperin’ that I wasn’t the only one_

_That lonely one…_

Kara was in her shower, singing to her heart’s content. It was two in the morning and she was steadily washing away the soot and grime off of her lean and toned body from a four alarm apartment building fire.  She’d rescued some of the residents who’d been trapped in their homes by the blaze and helped the firefighters extinguish the flames. An hour before she’d assisted the firefighters, Lena and she had flown to the Luthor’s penthouse apartment where Kara had met the alien Green Lantern who was training Lena in the art of ring-slinging.

Arisia was certainly cute…maybe, in Kara’s mind, too cute to be sleeping in the same apartment with Kara’s new lover. The golden-skinned woman laughed when she’d apparently observed the look of apprehension on the Kryptonian’s face. “Hey, Zor-El, there’s no reason for you to fire up those laser eyes of yours. I’m strictly an ‘into guys’ girl. I promise I won’t make a move on your human hottie, all right?”

Arisia’s declaration had almost made Kara rest easy until she’d realized that the woman had called Lena a ‘hottie!’

She’d left them both, though, after she’d heard the sirens from the fire trucks as they’d raced through the city streets.  Although the Lanterns offered to assist, Kara knew Lena was exhausted and needed to rest for her morning training session. So she kissed her girlfriend good night and sped off into the night sky.

After the fire had been put out, she flew home.  She quickly undressed and used her shower to wash the suit inside and out. Then she hung it over a towel bar and entered her tub surround, drew the shower curtain closed, and turned the water to full hot.

Now she was washing her hair as she continued her song:

_True love or perfection_

_It seems like it’s overdue_

_Then just when you least expect it_

_It comes sneakin’ up on you…_

As the water sprayed her face, she grinned. She’d been so afraid that she would have a half-life, experiencing fulfillment with her Earth family and friends and with her job as a journalist and her calling to help people as Supergirl, but missing out on having that special someone who would build a life with her, love her for who she really was, Kara Zor-El.

She could have settled for someone who may have been a better fit biologically considering Mon-El was an alien who happened to be from the same star system where she’d been born. However, it wouldn’t have been fair to be with him because she was afraid to be alone.

With Lena, it had been different from the time they had first met. When Lena had pleaded with Kal to allow her to make her own mark without being saddled by how others perceived her simply due to her family name, Kara had admired her. That admiration only blossomed the more she saw of Lena’s courage, her grace, her willingness to do the right thing even when it was personally painful to her. So when Kara had believed she might have lost Lena in the desert, that’s when it hit home that she felt far more than friendship for the dark-haired beauty. Kara’s conversation with Alex simply clarified what should have already been painfully obvious to the Kryptonian. She had fallen hard for the brunette siren who’d drawn Kara to her like the proverbial moth to the flame.

Kara now began to rinse her hair as she sang:

_When I thought I was dreaming_

_Felt your body close to mine_

_Now love takes on a different meaning_

_Together till the end of time_

She turned off the water and reached out from behind the shower curtain, attempting to locate her bath towel by touch, only to have _someone_ hand it to her.

Kara’s eyes shot wide open then. She used her free hand to draw the shower curtain open enough to allow her to see the intruder while keeping everything below her shoulders covered.

Standing in her bathroom, Kara found a man dressed in a black, pointy-eared cowl and a black cape that had bat winged fringes that pooled at his feet.

“Suit up, Kara,” the Dark Knight said, his voice deep and controlled. “I require your assistance on an investigation that brought me from Gotham to your city.”

She’d nearly jumped out of her skin before she realized who was in her bathroom.  “Darn it, Bruce! You almost scared the crap out of me!”

“Do you kiss Eliza with that mouth?” the Batman quipped.

She glared at him with her patented ‘I’m-going-to-kick-your-bad-guy-ass’ glare. “Things must really be bad if you open with a joke while in uniform,” she grumbled.

He simply stared at her through his opaque lenses for a moment before he turned toward the door.  Then over his shoulder, he said, “I’ll be in your kitchen. Don’t keep me waiting.”

#

Kara didn’t even bother to use the towel. She used super speed to suit up and twirled in place until both the suit and she were dry.

The whole process had taken her ten seconds.

During that long period of time (for a Kryptonian under a yellow sun), she’d regained her composure. Kal had told her that Bruce loved to use his ‘boogey-man’ persona to keep people off kilter. Even so, it had always impressed her that he was the only human who could constantly sneak up on both Kal and her. One of these days, she’d have to figure out how he did it.

She strode out of bathroom now and found him standing near her kitchen island. “Would you like some coffee?” she asked.

“Yes, please.”

A tiny smile dawned on her face then. Even though he was Kal’s best friend, when he was the Bat, he was always gruff and short with her cousin. With her, though, he was a well-mannered gentleman…mostly.  He must have gotten into that habit when she used to babysit his son, Damien. He’d always appreciated that she was patient and loving with the boy, as well as being impervious to the knives the kid used to toss around the house.

After the coffee-maker had begun to gurgle, she turned to him, “Bruce, what’s going on?”

“Have you or your playmates at the DEO heard anything about ‘Project Fair Play?’”

She couldn’t even feign being surprised that he knew about the DEO. “No, I’ve never heard the term come up in the building.”

“It only recently came to my attention when Robin and I busted an arms running gang in Gotham. They specialized in selling alien weapons and tech to the criminal element until we shut them down. However, word on the street is a new gang is being established to take the place of the old one. These scum appear to be based out of National City and use Gotham to store the weapons before they try to smuggle them across the river into Metropolis.”

“Why would they go through Gotham first? Aren’t they worried about you taking them down?”

“Apparently these thugs are more concerned about Clark than they are about me. I never said they were smart, Kara,” he noted with a smirk.

“So…what has this gang have to do with that Fair Play thing you mentioned earlier?”

“The United States government funded the project off the books.  There were also several private individuals who funded it, as well. The interesting thing was that these individuals, for the most part, were either scientists or engineers who were or are, shall we say, morally challenged.”

“When did the whole thing start?”

“Ten years ago.”

They paused their conversation for Kara to pour them both a steaming mug of coffee. He thanked her when she handed him his beverage and took a sip before he continued his briefing. “The government’s lead man on the project was Brigadier General Samuel Lane.”

“Lois’ and Lucy’s father?”

“One and the same. As for the project leads, I’m certain you’ll recognize their names. The most benign one at the time was Victor Fries. Of course, his participation ended after the accident that had turned him into Mr. Freeze. The other leads were T.O. Morrow, Maxwell Lord and Lex Luthor.”

Kara nearly choked on the small amount of coffee she’d sipped.  Morrow had been the builder of the Red Tornado android, a device she’d believed had been designed to terminate Kryptonians. Lord had created a bizarro version of Supergirl and the poor woman had kidnapped James Olsen in an attempt to draw Kara into a trap.  Lord had also been responsible for concocting the Red Kryptonite that had caused Kara to become evil enough to almost kill her sister if it hadn’t been for J’onn’s timely intervention. And Lex…well, his vendetta against Kal had led to the deaths of at least a hundred innocent people.

Now she stared Batman right in his opaque eye lenses.  “This…project…it has something to do with Kal…with me.”

Surprisingly, he allowed a crack to show in his façade, something that appeared to show his…shame.  “When your cousin revealed himself to the world, there were many people who saw him as mankind’s savior. There were also many who saw him as the harbinger of humanity’s end. I…regret that, at first, I was in the latter group. I failed him then and, for years, I have tried my best to support him, protect him. And by extension, protect you.” He paused, seemingly to gather himself before he continued. “The goal of Project Fair Play was to develop energy weapons that mimic the red star radiation that matches the kind emitted by Krypton’s sun. The weapons are designed to simultaneously weaken your powers while causing intense thermal damage to your bodies in the hopes of killing you both.  They’ve built rifles and tank-mounted cannons that the government would place into operation if either of you presented a clear and present danger to humanity. Kara…Lane was going to use the weapons against you when you were infected by Lord’s Red Kryptonite. The only reason they didn’t was because J’onn strenuously refused to let Lane do it and J’onn was able to get President Marsdin to see things his way.”

After hearing that, Kara now knew what the term ‘it felt like someone had walked over your grave’ meant. If it hadn’t been for J’onn and the sacrifice of his cover, she would have been dead.

“When Robin and I busted that ring, you can imagine my surprise when, instead of an alien weapon, we found a human weapon, a weapon our tests showed was a red sun laser rifle. We think this is a rogue black operation.  Shady elements in the government want to release these weapons here and in Metropolis and hope that some of the criminals take Clark and you down with them while making it appear as if alien weapons released by Cadmus were responsible for your deaths. That’s why I want to stop this plot dead in its tracks. Now, I’ve managed to track down the locale from where the demonstration model had been shipped.”

“National City.”

He nodded.  “Once I was able to get past the labyrinth of corporate shells to determine who may have been the shipper, guess whose name shot to the top of the list?”

“Maxwell Lord.”

“Yes, but he’s not alone. I’m certain Lane’s behind this as well.”

“B-but Kal,” she sputtered, “he’s practically married to his eldest daughter!”

“True, but Lane doesn’t know that Superman is his daughter’s lover. Lois and Clark never told the old man about Clark’s secret. In hindsight, their discretion was wise. I don’t think the man would care that he'd be responsible for destroying his daughter’s happiness so long as he ridded Earth of a dangerous alien menace. In his mind, the damage done to his child would be worth it in the end. I suppose it goes without saying that the man is the worst kind of fanatic,” the Batman growled.

“All right then.” Now her game face was on. “What’s our play?”

“I believe the shipment is going out early in the morning, around five or so.  I’ve narrowed the list down to eight warehouses where the weapons could be stored. We have two and a half hours to check out those warehouses and stop these weapons from reaching Metropolis.”

Kara’s eyes were hard now. These men intended to arrange for the death of her baby cousin, the child she’d been sent to Earth to protect.  Due to the Phantom Zone, she never had the chance to complete her mission. Now, she swore to holy Rao she would not fail her cousin now.

However, she believed it wouldn’t hurt if they could stack the deck in their favor to help them cover the ground they needed to reconnoiter in the time allowed.  “Batman, have you ever heard of the Green Lantern Corps?”

“Abin Sur is on Earth now?”

 _Again, I’m not even surprised he knew about the Corps,_ she mused to herself. _He’s Batman!_

“Actually,” she said, “Abin Sur passed away recently.  His replacement is a human who I’ve worked with before. Fortunately, another Lantern from another sector of space is here, too. We can bring both of them into this and with their rings, they should be able to protect themselves from those red sun lasers.”

“You’d vouch for them?”

“Yes…without hesitation.”

He regarded her with his patented Bat-Glare for several moments and Kara had to remind herself that she was impervious to almost anything. Then he said, “Very well. Contact them and have them meet us here as soon as possible so I can brief them.”

She nodded, turned to retrieve her cell phone from her purse, and placed the call.

She heard two rings before the call was connected. _“Kara?”_

Her girlfriend’s voice sounded groggy and Kara felt bad about disturbing her.  However, she pushed her guilt aside and stated, “Listen carefully.  We have an emergency. I need for your…roommate and you to suit up. We’ll fill you both in when you arrive at my place, all right?”

Lena’s voice now was strong and determined. _“We’re on our way!”_

As the call disconnected, Kara couldn’t wait to see her very sexy superhero girlfriend in her skin-tight Corpsman uniform again!

#

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this story! Reviews, critiques or comments are welcome!


	8. Crimson Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Batman, Supergirl and the Lanterns infiltrate a warehouse filled with weapons that could kill the Girl of Steel.

“Supergirl,” Lena whispered as Arisia and she gently landed on the rooftop beside Kara. “What makes you think they’re in the warehouse across the street?”

“Most of the structure is lined with lead. No one would go to the trouble of doing that unless they were trying to conceal their activities from a Kryptonian.”

“Good point,” Arisia agreed.  “Did you contact Batman to tell him to meet us here?”

“I’m here,” a gravelly voice sounded from the shadows near the building’s HVAC system.

Even a Corpsman as experienced as Arisia was startled by the Dark Knight’s announcement. Kara, though, hadn’t reacted at all. She’d learned from Kal long ago that it was always prudent to assume Batman was around rather than not.

“Report,” he said.

“The walls of the facility across the street,” Kara said, “are lined with lead, rendering my x-ray vision useless. I’m also having difficulty hearing anything from inside that building. They may have extensively soundproofed the facility.”

“Arisia or Green Lantern, can either of you give us a look inside that building?” he asked.

Earlier, Kara had decided to protect Lena’s secret identity because it was her girlfriend’s secret to reveal and Kara wasn’t sure if Bruce would have a problem with a Luthor working with them considering his friendship with Kal. However, what was good for the goose was also good for the gander; Kara couldn’t reveal Batman’s secret to either Arisia or Lena, either.

Now, her girlfriend nodded.  “Of course, Batman.”

Arisia said, “Lantern, you scan the sub levels if there are any.  I’ll have my ring scan the top floors. Once we’ve completed our scans, we’ll display the data for the team.”

As the two Corpsmen began their scans, Kara smiled. She was so proud of her girlfriend’s consummate professionalism. She acted like she’d been a ring-slinger for a long time.

Soon, they’d completed their scans and projected their real-time, continually updated findings via an emerald holographic projection.  “As you can see,” Lena reported, “on the first level near the loading dock bay, there are ten people patrolling that area. We have two people located in a small office near the dock and there are four individuals on the second level who appear to have line of sight on the area below them.”

“Supergirl,” the Dark Knight asked, “tell me what do you think about what their scans have revealed?”

She studied the image carefully then responded. “They’re all placed carefully and are conducting disciplined and efficient patrols.”

“Yes. I don’t think we’re dealing with run-of-the-mill thugs here.  These people appear to be soldiers or mercenaries.”

“How about that life sign on the third sub-level?” Arisia asked.

“That one is weird,” Lena noted. “He or she is stationary and the readings indicate they’re practically comatose.”

“There’s something wrong with this picture,” Kara observed. “Something about that life sign troubles me.  Something…I’ve experienced before.”

“Like what?” Batman asked.

She searched her memory for several moments before the realization almost struck her right between the eyes.  “Oh my Rao, please, not again!”

“What’s wrong, Supergirl?” Lena asked.

She shot each of her teammates with a frantic look.  “I’ve got to go down to that sub level. If I’m right, we have a White Martian on our hands.”

Surprisingly, she didn’t have to fill them in on what in the heck was a White Martian. Batman apparently already knew about them, most likely from J’onn, and the Lanterns were aware due to the knowledge stored in their rings.

The Dark Knight simply took it in stride and said, “All right. We need to conduct a two-pronged incursion. The White Martian has to be on the main level. If two of us can keep everyone on that level occupied, the other pair can sneak down there and rescue the Martian’s victim.”

“Sounds like a plan, Batman,” Supergirl said, her fists pressed against both hips in her iconic stance. “Green Lantern,” she asked of Lena, “can you get us into that sub level?”

“Yes.”

“Very well,” Batman said. “You two will go in five minutes.  That will give me enough time to get inside the building from the roof. Arisia, once five minutes have passed, I want you to take down the loading dock door and draw their attention. Whatever you do, don’t be subtle about it.”

“I’m sure I can manage to come up with something, Batman,” she drawled.

“Good,” he said before he whirled and rushed toward the edge of the rooftop and launched himself into the darkness.

#

“Mr. Lord, the truck should be here in thirty minutes.”

The billionaire scientist and engineer smiled at Colonel Steve Trevor, III. “Splendid, Colonel. I’m sure General Lane will be pleased when our weapons reach Metropolis.”

Trevor said nothing.

Lord then shot a sardonic glance at the other man. “What’s wrong, Trevor? You’ve got a problem with this operation?”

The blonde, ruggedly handsome veteran of the Iraq War narrowed his eyes at Lord. “No, sir. I’m a soldier, obligated to follow the lawful orders of my commanding officer. Even though it troubles me to hand out advanced weapons to criminals, there is nothing inherently illegal about my orders.”

Lord nodded.  “I understand, Colonel. However, this is a perfect opportunity to get these weapons to someone who might take out one of the Kryptonians.”

“I’m curious about something, sir. Wasn’t it one of those Kryptonians who saved your life from the ones who tried to kill us all with that Myriad device? In fact, she almost died saving the human race when she pushed the ship with the ones who were in stasis into outer space.”

“She was only making up for the fact that her ship had drawn those scum here in the first place! And with the powers her cousin and she has, how can we ever be certain they won’t pick up where the others had left off? Without these weapons, who would have a chance of standing against them?”

“I know of one person.”

Lord grinned. “Of course, you must be referring to that old family friend of yours. However, no one has seen Diana of Themyscira for the past fifteen years or so.” Then the expression on Lord’s face grew serious. “Look, Trevor, I do hope Wonder Woman is in the best of health and doing well on her island home just in case we need her—”

Suddenly, a loud noise outside the office interrupted Lord.

“What in the hell!” Trevor shouted as he grabbed his energy rifle and exited his office, closely followed by Lord. When he entered the docking bay, he was stunned to see the rolling cover over the tractor-trailer doorway had been smashed aside. Now in the opening floated a somewhat short yet attractive golden haired woman with well-tanned skin dressed in a white bustier and a green mini-skirt that revealed a lot of leg. Incredibly, the little hottie was surrounded by what appeared to be a green energy field.

The woman fearlessly faced ten of his men who were armed with red sun laser weapons with an impish smile on her lovely face.  Looking at her, he couldn’t help but recall the stories his dad had told him about the irrepressible courage that Wonder Woman had shown whenever she faced any of her enemies.

“Hello, boys!” she announced.  “My name is Arisia. I’m a member of the Green Lantern Corps, a kind of intergalactic law enforcement agency. I’m here on behalf of some extra-terrestrial refugees who are kind of allergic to those weapons that you have in your hot little hands. I’ve also heard you plan on handing out these weapons to members belonging to your criminal element. Well, I have to tell you, my bosses have got a big problem with that since they have a soft spot for these refugees. And if my bosses have a problem with it then I’ve got a problem with it.  So, let’s just cut to the chase, shall we?  Now we can do this the easy way, by, you know, you guys surrendering your weapons to me and halting the shipment.  Or, we can do this the hard way, by, you know, me kicking all of your asses. So, what will it be?”

Trevor had to admit, the woman had more balls than almost any man he’d ever met. To stand there facing at least fourteen heavily armed soldiers with the most advanced weaponry made by human hands in a bustier and a mini-skirt took a lot of moxie. Still, he had a job to do and if he had to take her down, he’d do it, even if he had to get shit-faced drunk to try and forget having killed her. “Ma’am, I’ve never heard about your organization and I’m certain my government doesn’t recognize your jurisdiction here.  I’m giving you one chance to withdraw before I order my men to use deadly force against you.”

She smirked at him and he began to wonder if something seriously was wrong with him for being drawn to the gutsy woman.  Maybe it was a genetic defect the men in his family all shared.  First, it had been his grandfather who’d been the first Wonder Woman’s faithful companion back during World War II and the Korean War. Then it had been his dad during the Cold War with Princess Diana.

Then the ring on the middle finger of the woman’s right hand began to glow brightly. “So we’re going to do this the hard way, handsome? Oh, well, I suppose I can get down with that,” she drawled.

#

Even though the second man had been rendered unconscious efficiently and quietly, it had taken more time than Batman had predicted but it couldn’t be helped. These men were very well trained, so he couldn’t move as quickly as he would have liked.

Now it appeared that the men on the first floor were going to open fire on the alien Lantern.  Although he’d just met both Corpsmen, he admired Arisia’s spunk and the cool professionalism of the Earth-born one. Even though he doubted the men’s weapons could actually harm Arisia based on his experience with the ring’s capabilities during the time he’d worked with Abin Sur eight years ago, he decided to help her as best as he could. So, he retrieved dozens of concentrated smoke bombs from one of the compartments on his utility belt and tossed them over the railing onto the docking bay floor below. As the smoke began to fill the space, some of the men began to cough and move away from the door, allowing the area to fill with haze that would serve to scatter the beams and reduce the amount of energy that would strike the Lantern’s shield.

As some of the men tried to fight the effects of the smoke and others asked their commander whether they should open fire, the Dark Knight began to stalk his next target. It was then when he spied what appeared to be Maxwell Lord slinking toward some stairs leading to the sub levels below. Seeing Lord at that moment alarmed him.  There was no way that a man of his stature would be hanging around a warehouse in the dead of night.

He drew his cell phone and sent a text message to Kara’s phone, hoping his warning would reach her in time.

#

After Kara and Lena had phased through the wall of sub level three, the blonde smiled at her girlfriend.  “That ring of yours is pretty handy, baby!”

“Thank you, darling,” Lena replied. “I suppose it’s kind of a Swiss Army knife on steroids.”

Kara grinned then gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “I thought you were going to geek out on me and say it was an ‘omni-tool’ or something.”

Lena smirked.  “Well, I am a CEO.  I’m used to dumbing things down for the masses.”

“Hey!” Kara whispered-shouted.

“Darling, can you use your x-ray vision now?” Lena asked, drawing their attention back to the task at hand.

“I think so,” Kara answered. She activated her x-ray vision and located the human body suspended against the ceiling between various pipes.  “He’s over here!”

They rushed toward the man and Lena’s ring illuminated the area.  The victim was covered by some sort of gel-like substance, leaving only his face uncovered. 

“It’s Maxwell Lord,” Kara observed. “We need to get him down from there and revive him.”

A few seconds later, she felt the silent vibration of her cell phone inside her boot right before she heard the high-pitched whine off to their left down the corridor.  “Get behind me, Lantern!” she cried and stepped in front of her girlfriend.  Suddenly, a crimson bolt of energy streaked toward them.  Kara’s super vision and reflexes allowed her to block the bolt with her right hand.  However, the blast almost caused her to cry out in pain as the force of it shoved her back a meter or so, almost into Lena.  Kara then dropped to her knees.

“Supergirl!” Lena shouted, the concern in her voice was plainly evident.

Although Kara wanted to assure her girlfriend she was fine, her attention was drawn to the palm of her own hand which had been burned and blistered by the energy weapon’s discharge. Moments later, several drops of blood had plopped onto her injured hand from her nose.

“How do you like that little taste of home, Kryptonian?” the thing that had stolen the face of Maxwell Lord taunted.

“How would you like to have a broken jaw, you son of a bitch!” Lena growled right before she formed an aerodynamic shield around herself and rocketed toward the Martian like a heat-seeking missile.

“Lantern! Wa—” Kara had started to call after her girlfriend but she held herself in check realizing it wasn’t a good idea to distract her lover while she engaged the incredibly dangerous White Martian.

Then she tried to release Lord from his confinement as quickly as she could.  If Lord was free, she could have Lena escape with the man while Kara held off the monster.

However, that plan fell completely by the wayside when a surprised Kara caught a glimpse of the confrontation between the Martian and her Lantern.

“Oh…my…Rao,” she whispered in awe.

#

Lena Luthor was beyond livid.

She was pissed!

This…this thing had tried to kill her beloved Kara!

For that, the Martian bastard was going to fucking pay!

The energy flashed from her ring and englobed the Martian in an impervious sphere. Then before the thing could even push against the bubble's inner surface, she continuously slammed the sphere against the floor, both walls and the ceiling of the corridor.  As she continued to play hacky-sack with her hapless prey, she concentrated and commanded the ring to slowly draw out the air inside the construct until the creature was trying to breathe vacuum.  Soon, the battered Martian slid to the bottom of the sphere as its eyes rolled back in its head and he lost consciousness.

When the ring had indicated the Martian was down for the count, she willed it to provide only enough of a breathable atmosphere to keep him alive yet senseless.

#

 _Wow,_ Kara thought. _Lena really beat the crap out of that Martian._

 _Man,_ Kara mused.  _The way she did it almost made me feel sorry for that guy. Almost._

Then she blinked twice.  _Hmm,_ she wondered _.  Note to self—never, ever get Lena that pissed off at me!_

 _Also,_ she mused, _note to self, she looks so darn hot right now!_

While Lord was rejoining the land of the living, Kara gave her lover a gentle smile.  “I’m impressed.  How did you take him down so quickly?”

“I smacked the shit out of him while I drew all the air out of the sphere and made him pass out. How about, you? Are you all right, _a rúnsearc?”_

“I’m okay.  I’ll be totally fine with a little sunlight.”

Then they shared a smile and wished they could be in each other’s arms. However, they still had to complete the mission.

“Max,” Kara said as she gently shook the man.  “Are you back with us?”

“I-I think so,” he stammered then winced.  “What happened to me?”

“An alien placed you in stasis and impersonated you.  This alien is both a shapeshifter and a telepath. When you’re in stasis, he can tap into your thoughts and memories and use that information to pass himself off perfectly as you.”

“My…God!”

“What is the last thing you recall?”

He rubbed his forehead with his right hand for several moments before he answered her. “I-I’d just returned to my home after a business meeting that had run late…um…what date is it today?”

“February 12th.”

He gasped.  “That meeting occurred three weeks ago!”

Before either Kara or Lord could say another word, Lena announced, “Supergirl, Mr. Lord, we need to get to the main floor right now! My fellow Corpsman just told me that she may become the target in a shooting galley if we don’t keep the men in the docking bay from shooting at her.  Mr. Lord, do you recognize this location?”

He blinked several times before he nodded.  “Yes, I know where we are and I have a good idea about the men your colleague is facing.  By the way, who exactly are you?”

Lena gave him a look that made Kara think of Bruce’s patented ‘Bat-Glare.’ Kara was impressed. “I’m the Green Lantern and I work with Supergirl. Now, just relax,” Lena commanded as she willed the ring to encase the three of them in another bubble and phase them and their unconscious prisoner through the fixtures and concrete above their heads.

Moments later, they arrived in the docking bay in the space between the opening where Arisia floated and the armed men who had their weapons ready and trained on the alien Corpsman.

“Colonel Trevor!” Lord snapped.  “Tell your men to stand down!”

“Mr. Lord?!” Trevor barked. “What in the hell are you doing with Supergirl?! And what the hell is that thing?!” the officer indicated by pointing toward the subdued White Martian.

“Well…” Supergirl began. “It’s kind of a long story…”

#

“You all did well,” the Caped Crusader told the three women once they’d exited the building and returned to the rooftop across the street.

“Thank you, Batman,” Arisia said.  “I wanted you to know I really appreciated your timely assist with your smoke generators.”

He surprised Kara when he gave Arisia a tiny smile.  “Anytime,” he said simply. Then he turned to Lena.  “Green Lantern, good job taking down that White Martian so efficiently. You’re a true professional and it was…gratifying working with you.”

Kara’s chest swelled with pride on behalf her girlfriend.  She’d truly done well if Batman complimented her efforts!

Then he faced her.  “Kara, you handled Lord properly and succeeded in protecting your cousin from the release of these weapons onto the streets. I know he’d be proud of you.”

She blinked several times, trying to hold back her tears.  Why in the heck did he have to go and say that? Did he want her to break down and cry?

“Well…it’s getting late,” the Dark Knight observed.

She frowned. “What do you mean?” She turned and faced toward the east. “Come on...it's early! The sun will be coming up soon and—”

Her words drifted off when the three women had turned back to face Batman only to find he was no longer with them.

“Dammit!” Arisia snapped.  “We need to put a bell on that guy! The way he just appears out of nowhere and disappears at the drop of a hat really creeps me out!”

“Don’t let it bother you, Arisia,” Lena advised. “Just consider it as a part of his ‘man of mystery’ aesthetic and just call it a day.”

“I don’t know how he does it but it’s pretty cool if you think about it,” Kara said.  “I’ve got super senses and the guy is still able to disappear right under my nose!” Then she sighed.  “Oh, well, I guess I’d better take ‘sleeping beauty,’” she indicated the unconscious White Martian with a nod of her head, “to his holding cell at the DEO.”

“Hold up for a second, Kara,” Arisia said.  Then she pointed her ring at the encased Martian and used it to create a second sphere around Lena’s, however, this one had two handles on it. “I solidified the air molecules around Lena’s construct, so it’s permanent until you get him to where you’re going.  Just use your heat vision to release him from containment when you want to place him in his cell.”

“Thanks, Arisia!”

“Don’t mention it.” Then she turned to Lena and smiled.  “Now, can we go back to your place, get some chow and catch up on our beauty sleep?”

“We’re not going to train in the desert this morning?”

“Nah. This mission was way better for you than a training session. You were professional, you worked with a demanding personality, even more so than mine, and you performed flawlessly, not to mention you kicked some serious ass! You made me proud, Lena Luthor. If you keep it up, when people see how you perform in the field everyone in the Corps will think I’m the best instructor in the Universe!” Then she pouted.  “It’s too bad I didn’t get to kick some ass, too, though. Sometimes I’d rather throw down against scumbags. At least I’d see some action. Soldiers, though, tend to be too disciplined to do something stupid so I could feel good about putting the hurt on ‘em.”

“Even so,” Kara observed, “you can’t tell me the night was a total waste.  I saw how that Trevor guy was checking you out.”

Arisia grinned. “Yeah, he IS kind of a hunk, isn’t he? Do you think I should hook up with him while I’m here with you guys?”

Lena shrugged.  “Why not?” Then the Luthor gave a very sensual smile to her girlfriend.  “Oh, Kara? Why don’t you hurry along, put Mr. Congeniality over there in his hole, and meet us at my place.  When you get there, I’ll make you breakfast.  In fact, you can have all the pancakes and bacon you can eat!”

“Yes!” Supergirl screamed. Then she used her super speed to race to the sphere, grab both handles and launched both it and herself into the sky.

As the two Lanterns watched the Girl of Steel fly away, Arisia placed her right arm over Lena’s shoulder. “Already, you’ve mastered how to manipulate your lover!” Then she pretended to wipe a tear from her left eye with her other hand. “Baby Lanterns…you just grow up so fast!”

#

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this story. Critiques, reviews and comments are always appreciated!


	9. Mr., Mrs. and Mrs. Mxyptlk?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the night before Valentine's Day, a hot and heavy make out session between our resident Kryptonian and her Green Lantern is rudely interrupted.

February 14, 2017

0900 Local Time

“You’re just now telling me that we’ve had an incursion by a Fifth Dimensional being last night?!”

Now standing in her iconic stance with both hands on her hips, Supergirl gave both J’onn and Mon-El her earnest ‘everything-is-under-control-look’ before the trio strode over to the small conference table in the DEO’s situation room.  “Yes, but he’s returned to his dimension, so he’s out of our hair. By the way, the guy called himself Mxyptlk."

“On Daxam,” Mon-El noted, “we had a zero tolerance policy on those creatures.”

“You had them on Daxam?” Supergirl asked.

“Yeah. And those guys knew how to party," he noted, snickering, probably about some debauchery involving himself and one of those pesky imps on Daxam, Kara thought. Then he caught himself and grew overly serious. "But they’re dangerous...very dangerous.”

Now she smirked at him in response. “I guess they’re not as dangerous as a woman whose make out session with her girlfriend was interrupted rudely by one of them,” she drawled lowly.

“What was that, Kara?”

“Oh, nothing, J’onn,” she announced, trying to sound innocent.

“So, how did you get rid of the imp?” Mon-El asked.

“Actually, I didn’t get rid of him, Lena did. You know, she’s really smart; Lena's brilliant, actually,” Kara gushed though a part of her thought, at times, her girlfriend kind of had a mean streak—but in a good way!

“Ms. Luthor? I must say I’m surprised she was able to succeed in such an endeavor,” J’onn said. “Those creatures were pretty difficult for even Martians to handle on our world.”

“So you’re telling us,” Mon-El asked, “that Lena Luthor got him to say his name backwards?”

“Yep!” she answered with a 'pop' to the 'p'.

“How?”

With a slightly disturbed expression on her face, Kara murmured, “Um…well…she kinda made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.”

#

February 13, 2017

Local Time 2017

Kara’s apartment

“Darling, dinner was wonderful! I really appreciate you cooking for me again. You’re so sweet!”

After they’d put the dishes in the dishwasher and had cleaned up, the blonde poured some wine into a goblet and handed it to her brunette lover. “I love cooking for you, taking care of you.”

Lena smiled as they crossed from the kitchen to Kara’s couch. Once they’d seated themselves next to each other, the CEO said, “I love taking care of you, too, darling.”

Kara smiled warmly. She thought it was so cute that Lena’s terms of endearment were so formal as compared to those used by the blonde. Maybe it was a Luthor thing, she mused to herself. Then she looked at Lena and asked, “How was your day, baby?”

Lena brushed away a few strands of hair from over her left eye and smiled gently at her beloved. “Actually, my morning was a bit unusual. I finally had managed to reach my friend from both boarding school and my MBA program.”

“Jesse Chambers?”

“Yes.”

“How is she doing?”

Lena gave Kara a look of mild concern. “I don’t really know. After we chatted for a bit, you know, catching up on what has happened to us both over the past few years, she told me she’s experiencing something that she needs to show me, something she feels my scientific expertise can help her get a handle on. So, she’s arriving at NCX this Friday morning around 9:30 or so. I’d love it if you could come to the airport with me to pick Jesse up. She’s really sweet. I know you two will become fast friends!”

“If she’s a friend of yours, I’m certain I’ll like her.”

“So, you’ll come with me?”

“I’ll be happy to go with you, baby.”

“Thank you, darling.”

“Well, thank you for asking me to come along! So, what else happened today?”

“Well, I got caught up on my work while Arisia had returned from Lord’s warehouse where she asked Colonel Trevor out for drinks tomorrow night. Afterwards, we flew into outer space where she taught me how to shield myself and manipulate gravitons to push myself to near light speed.”

“Wow!”

Lena nodded and grinned. “Then she showed me how to open a hyperspace window to take me anywhere in the Universe almost instantaneously. We traveled to Alpha Centauri, and Kara! We found that a sentient avian race lives on the fifth planet in the system!”

Kara grinned.  She so loved when Lena’s science geek self was unleashed in Kara’s presence.

Lena continued to tell her girlfriend about her trip. “Their society is in the equivalent of our early Industrial Age as we’d experienced it on Earth three centuries ago.  Imagine it, Kara! I’m the first human to have visited another star system! The next time I go, I’d love it if you’d go with me!”

“Er…yeah, that sounds like it would be fun.  However…”

The brunette narrowed her eyes at the blonde. “Kara?”

Kara sighed. “Actually…Veronica Sinclair may have been the first human to visit another star system.”

“What?!”

“Well…Roulette was involved in a slave trading ring on a place called Slaver’s Moon in another part of the galaxy in a system with a red sun.  She’d sold some humans to the slavers and Mon-El and I followed her henchmen to that planetoid so we could bring the prisoners back home.”

Lena gasped. “Baby…wasn’t that risky? You’re powerless under a red sun!”

 _Interesting,_ Kara observed. _When she’s concerned about my well-being, even after the fact, Lena’s less formal with her terms of endearment for me._ “Yes but even so, I’m still Supergirl and I had to help those innocent people. However, Alex and Winn came after me and brought a device J’onn had cooked up to infuse me with a charge of yellow sunlight that gave me enough power to bring everyone home…except for Roulette.”

The CEO cocked a wry eyebrow at her girlfriend. “Are you saying that Veronica Sinclair is stuck on some godforsaken planetoid light years away from home?”

“Yep!”

A wicked grin dawned on Lena’s face at that moment. “I can’t think of a more suitable punishment for that twisted bitch, Kara.” Then Lena’s gorgeous green eyes seemed to glow as her expression softened when she took both of their wine glasses and placed them on the coffee table, rose up, hiked up her short skirt, and straddled Kara’s lap. “The next time you do something like that you’d better take me along to back you up, partner.  But for now, I believe you should be properly rewarded for what you did to bring those people home.”

She smiled up at her lover while Lena's dark hair formed an intimate curtain around the two women that shielded them from the outside world. “Well, if you’re the one offering the reward, who am I to deny you?”

“Good answer,” Lena murmured before she captured Kara’s lips with a searing kiss.

Kara closed her eyes and lost herself in Lena. She sensed her lover’s lips pressed against hers, Lena’s tongue probing and requesting entrance. Kara complied, opening her mouth and sweeping her tongue inside Lena’s. In response, Lena moaned and wrapped her arms tightly around Kara’s broad shoulders while the Kryptonian gently took a hold of the other woman’s hip bones and drew Lena even closer. Then the Luthor tasted Kara's sweetness which caused a tingle to travel down her spine.

Kara opened her mouth and bit gently down on Lena’s plump bottom lip. The CEO responded by pressing her exceptional breasts flush against Kara’s chest. Now she parted her lips and invited her tall lover to explore her mouth at Kara’s leisure.

Hearing the whimpers of her lover served to spur Kara to continue her tender ministrations. The blonde swallowed the passionate moans of her soulmate while she cradled the brunette in arms that had lifted a massive space station into space. Kara then wormed her left hand between them and palmed one of her lover’s breasts. When the Kryptonian brushed against an erect nipple, Lena arched her back and hissed her pleasure before she launched herself back to steal another sinful kiss from her beloved girlfriend.

However, the lovers were so lost to their passions, they both missed seeing the sparkly stream of particles streaking through the air inside Kara’s living room.

Suddenly, they heard a man’s voice speaking in a proper English accent. “Oh, darling, I am very pleased to see that you’re so…modern!”

The brunette scrambled off the blonde’s lap, her ring becoming visible as she stepped between her beloved and the interloper. Which kind of turned into an awkward moment, when the blonde nearly tripped over Lena while she attempted to step in front of the brunette to shield her lover.

Then when the two women had managed to find a happy medium, a stunned Kara glared at the man and asked, “Who the hell are you?”

He grinned and said, “My name is Mr. Mxyptlk. And Kara Zor-El, I love you!” Then he gave Lena an appraising look. “And, in time, I’m certain I could love your very attractive companion, as well.”

In response, Lena narrowed her eyes at the man. “Excuse me?!”

“But first things first,” he said. “Let’s improve the mood in here, shall we?  Candles!” he announced as he rubbed his hands together and white energy sparks encircled his hands before he broadcast them throughout the living room. Instantaneously, dozens of lit wax candles in all shapes, colors and sizes appeared on the tables and kitchen counter.

Meanwhile, as Kara stared in disbelief at what appeared to be a magic show in her apartment, she heard Lena’s voice in her mind. _“Don’t be alarmed, baby. I’ve linked our minds telepathically with the ring.  I want you to keep this bozo talking while the ring scans him and obtains enough information so we can deal with him with extreme prejudice!”_

 _“Okay, sweetie,”_ a slightly concerned Kara said telepathically before she turned her attention back to the stranger. “Who are you?”

Instead of answering her, he ignored Kara momentarily and snapped his fingers. “Music!” he shouted and a string quartet dressed in formal attire appeared behind her couch already in mid-stroke on a piece the members of the quartet were playing.

“What the hell?” Kara murmured.

“Next, flowers!” He snapped his fingers again and at least two dozen bouquets of red roses popped into existence all around her apartment.

While Kara gazed at the spectacle unfolding right before her very eyes, her mouth opened wide in shock and confusion, the Luthor simply snorted. “For a supposedly all-powerful Fifth Dimensional imp, I’m disappointed you couldn’t match neither the quantity nor quality of the flowers I’d given her just a week ago. Color me not impressed, Mxy.”

Kara shot a sideway glance at Lena then. _“Why are you trying to annoy the guy who’s doing a pretty good impersonation of Harry Potter, baby?”_

_It’s not magic, darling. He’s warping reality…that’s what his people do. The ring is developing a counter to his powers even as we speak.  We just need to keep his attention focused on us so he doesn’t sense what the ring is doing until it’s too late for him to stop it. And, Kara, although he looks harmless, he’s not. According to the ring, his people are chaotic and can be very dangerous. Green Lanterns are supposed to deal with them expediently if possible before they manage to destroy an entire planet along with its population.”_

It had taken several seconds for the man to work out a response while Kara and Lena had been conversing telepathically. “You know what I am?” he asked of the brunette.

“Yes, I do.  Now, what do you want?”

“Well, if you must know, I’m here to offer Kara Zor-El an engagement ring. She is my one true love, my soulmate. I love her and wish to ask for her hand in marriage.”

“But…but, I’ve never even met you before today! How can you love me?”

“All right. That’s it!” Lena snapped and Kara was suddenly a little frightened because the maddened look on her girlfriend’s face kind of reminded Supergirl of the way Lillian had looked at her when she’d been the woman’s prisoner at Cadmus. “Look, you son of a bitch! Allow me to enlighten you. Kara Zor-El is too good for either of us but for some unknown, God-blessed reason, she has chosen to be with me. So get this straight: she is MY one true love not yours and if anyone’s going to marry her it’s gonna be me, not some interdimensional imp pretending to be an English dandy!”

A nanosecond later, the face of Lena’s ring flashed and Mxyptlk cried out in surprise and a little pain. “What in the blazes did you do to me?! he exclaimed as his hands reached back to grab his bottom.

“That,” Lena purred in a voice that, to Kara, sounded disturbingly close to Lillian’s Evil Overlord tone, “was a suppository created by my power ring that is now lodged in your rectum. The reason you could feel it going in and the pain from its passage is due to  my ring siphoning enough energy from your dimension into this room to suppress your invulnerability and to keep you from teleporting. Now you should know the suppository is really a tiny magnetic containment field that holds one ounce of antimatter inside it.”

“What?!” he screamed.

“What?!” Kara shrieked. She’d seen almost all the _Star Trek_ reruns.  She knew what an ounce of antimatter could do if it came into contact with any matter. Why the chain reaction would completely destroy the imp along with an entire city block…at the very least!

The Green Lantern simply nodded and glared at the imp in a way Kara knew Bruce would be proud to see. Then Lena formed a bubble around Mxy and said, “Now, I’m giving you five seconds to say your name backwards. If you do as I say, I’ll remove the antimatter.”

He glared at Lena. “You’re bluffing! You’re a Green Lantern. You’re precious Guardians don’t allow their Corpsmen to kill anyone.”

“You are sadly misinformed. Green Lanterns have taken lives during war-time situations on many occasions. Besides, the Guardians have placed an order in the Book of Oa to take you imps down using, and I quote, ‘any and all means possible.’ Of course, you know how the Guardians prize order and abhor all the chaos that follows in your peoples' wakes. So, I’m just following orders, Mxy. But have it your way. Five, four, three, tw—”

“Kltpyxm! All right, I said it!”

With a wicked smirk on her face that, for some reason, Kara thought looked so freaking hot, Lena announced, “The antimatter has been removed from your body.”

Now he speared the Luthor with a furious glare. “You nasty woman! Now I’m gonna—”

However, before he could snap his fingers, his left hand transformed into smoke. “Oh, no. It’s started.” Then he shot a mournful look Kara’s way. “I…I just wanted someone to love me.”

Both women regarded him with compassionate expressions on their faces. “Mxy,” Kara said, “I’m sorry but I’ve admired Lena since the day we'd first met. And we’ve shared experiences and spent time getting to know each other to the point that I fell in love with her. You just can’t come between lovers and force one of them to love you. That’s not how it works. Love has to find you,” she said as the imp faded away into nothingness and the string quartet, the candles and the flowers all disappeared.

“You know…I kind of hated to do that,” Lena muttered. “I understand wanting to be loved so badly that you’d do almost anything to have it. And what the ring told me of his people, they’re practically immortal. Can you imagine living that long without having someone you love to share existence with you? He must be terribly lonely.”

Kara nodded then shot a questioning look at her girlfriend. “Lena…t-those things you said to Mxy about me…was that just in the heat of the moment—”

Lena halted Kara’s stammering with a gentle kiss. “Kara Zor-El, light of my life, I meant every single word of it.”

“Oh.  Oh!”

Although there was a tiny smile on Lena’s face, there was also a modicum of concern displayed in her green eyes. “Was…was it too soon?”

Kara smiled broadly. “That’s not possible, baby. Don’t you know I am SO in love with you by now?”

“Truly?”

“Yeah…truly,” Kara gently teased her oh-so-formal-at-times girlfriend just before she drew Lena into her arms and kissed the woman as if her life had depended upon it.

After the kiss, Lena licked her own lips to sample a taste of Kara and smiled. “Wow. Color me convinced, baby,” she murmured as she prepared to dive back into making out with the blonde.

 _Hmm,_ Kara noted to herself. _Lena's also a lot less formal when she’s having her wicked way with me, too!_

Then before Lena could close the distance, Kara asked, “Did you really shove some antimatter up Mxy’s as—”

“Babe,” a slightly annoyed Luthor whispered, “do you need to know the answer to your question at this very moment or would you rather we return to the make out session that Mxy had so rudely interrupted?”

“Good point,” Kara noted before her mouth passionately sought out Lena’s like a locked-on-target heat-seeking missile.

#   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this story. Critiques, reviews and comments are always appreciated!


	10. Valentine's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie has a bad day, Winn somehow manages to find a hot babe instead of going to the hospital, and Kara gets angry

“Sawyer! I need to see you in my office…now.”

Detective Maggie Sawyer was startled by her captain’s summons. It had derailed her train of thought regarding how she’d proclaimed her distaste about the Valentine’s Day holiday to Alex this morning. She hadn’t told Alex the real reason for her hatred of the holiday. Maggie had felt a little guilty for not being honest with her baby-gay lover. She’d been considering how she could come clean about it with her girl right until the moment Captain Beckett had called Maggie into her office.

Now she entered the cluttered room and the other woman glanced up at Maggie from behind her desk. “Close the door and take a seat,” Beckett directed.

Maggie flopped into one of the arm chairs nearby and waited patiently.

“I just got off the phone with the Chief. He told me that his honor, the Mayor, and he had their asses chewed by some high-powered mouthpiece who works for Lena Luthor. It seems Ms. Luthor was quite upset about being arrested on the basis of a doctored video that our forensics department had failed to uncover. Indeed, she’s so upset that her lawyer threatened to sue the city for false arrest and violating her civil rights.”

“What?!”

Beckett glared at her. “Oh, don’t worry, it gets better,” her tone of voice obviously meant exactly the opposite. “The lawyer also mentioned that Ms. Luthor has had second thoughts about relocating Luthor Pharmaceutical, Inc. to National City due to the, quote, ‘inherent bias the city’s government appears to have against my client because of her family name despite all the business she has already brought to the city and the charitable causes she’s promoted,’ unquote. Accordingly, she has her relocation team engaged in serious discussions with the City of Irvine for the new site of her pharmaceutical company.”

Maggie shrugged.  “Well, it’s her company. She can do with it as she pleases.”

Beckett frowned. “Wrong answer, Sawyer. I’d expect something like that from a beat cop, not you. I thought you were smarter than that.”

“What do you mean by that?” she snapped.

Beckett sighed heavily. “I’m saying that we work for the people of this city, Sawyer. People who need jobs, people who, directly or indirectly, benefit economically from having a multi-national company in town. People who don’t have a problem with Lena Luthor because of her last name because she’s had a positive impact on their lives. And how does NCPD treat her? We frog-marched her in her very own office building in front of her employees and a reporter for the Tribune for something she didn’t do, for God’s sakes!”

“So, in an attempt to try and repair the damage the Chief believes that we’ve done to the city’s relationship with the CEO of L Corp. and to avoid a potentially crippling lawsuit to boot, the Mayor and the Chief have agreed to issue a public apology to Ms. Luthor at city hall this afternoon. The Chief also promised Ms. Luthor’s attorney that the Civil Service Commission shall review how we’d handled the case to see if any disciplinary action against you or the forensic specialist is warranted.”

Sawyer glared at her boss.  “I cannot freaking believe this! Captain, this is bullshit!”

“Really, Sawyer? Somehow, I don’t think Ms. Luthor believes this is bullshit! Nor does her lawyer! And after getting my own ass chewed out by the Chief, I don’t think it’s bullshit, either!” Then Beckett drew a deep breath, seemingly to calm herself before she spoke in a low and even tone. “You’re not the only one who screwed up here.  Considering the fact she was the target of your investigation, I should have been more mindful of the politics and followed this matter more closely. I should’ve done a better job of putting you through your paces before I allowed you to bust her. Really, Maggie, what did you have that could pin Metallo’s jailbreak on Lena Luthor besides the video? What was her motive? Let’s face it: the guy had tried to murder her only a few months ago. Why would she want to help him escape? If she’d wanted to free her mother, why not ally herself with that guy who wounded you with his laser eye? That would make a whole lot more sense than trying to free a monster who’d tried to kill her! And even if the video which showed her with the kryptonite wasn’t doctored, where’s the chain of evidence showing Metallo had obtained that very piece of kryptonite that she’d supposedly removed from the safe? Where was the evidence that showed she was the one who’d even mailed the package containing said kryptonite to Metallo?”

Maggie said nothing for several moments then shook her head.  “I don’t know.”

Beckett nodded. “The fact that it took less than a day for the Feds to prove the video had been faked doesn’t help us. That’s certainly going to come up during the Commission’s inquest, you know. The way the Commission is going to see it is that, as the arresting officer, it was your responsibility to get it right and my responsibility to have supervised you properly. If we’re being honest with ourselves, we both were too eager to jump the gun because she’s a Luthor.  We didn’t do right by her.  We should have put that aside and looked a little harder at the evidence to make sure it was solid. But what’s done is done.”

An angry Maggie Sawyer sat there and coolly regarded her boss. “I understand, ma’am. Are we done here?”

“Yes, we’re done.” After Maggie stood up, Beckett said, “Sawyer, I want you to be smart about this. No talking to the press about the apology from city hall, you got me?”

She grimaced at the captain. “Sure thing, ma’am,” she said before she exited the woman’s office and stormed to her desk.   

#

“Put…the human…down!”

Until he’d heard the commanding voice of a woman who’d spoken as if she were an upper class, English lady, Winn Schott had thought he was a dead man.

He’d been sitting at the counter in the alien bar minding his own business and drinking a beer when two aliens, one who, if human, would appear to have a serious skin rash and the other, who was dark-skinned with bony ridges on his head and two tusks protruding from his chin, had tried to bully him.

Now the woman who stood about as tall as Alex Danvers glared at his assailants. She was thin with a frame that reminded him of Kara’s. The woman was dressed in a black leather jacket with a black shirt he could see above the jacket’s zipper. She also wore black leather pants and high black leather boots. Her face was lovely and looked almost human except for the ridged markings around her eyes that appeared to be a flesh-colored domino mask. Her eyes, though, were piercing blue, similar in color to Kara’s. Her blonde hair appeared to be lighter than Kara’s and was pulled back into a tight pony-tail.

Fearless, she approached the two bullies and when the one who’d had him by his throat had released Winn, she immediately launched her attack. She struck the tusked alien with a tremendous right cross to his cheek that sent the bully flying. Then when the other alien tried to strike her, she dodged his blow, pulled his body toward her and kneed him in his abdomen, hard. While that alien collapsed from her blow, she turned her attention back to the tusked alien and sent him flying behind the piano with a deadly spin-kick. When he crashed onto the floor, she turned toward the skin-condition alien, grabbed a chair, raised it high and smashed it down across his back. The blow caused that alien to crash on top of a bar table, smashing the furniture and sending him down to the floor out cold. After that, the woman took two steps toward the fallen tusked alien who was struggling to pick himself off of the floor. However, before he could regain his senses, she fired a vicious kick to his chin and the alien collapsed onto his back and lost consciousness.

After her victory, she turned to face Winn and regarded him coolly. “I hate bullies,” she declared.

Totally relieved, he gushed, “Thank…thank you for bailing me out. Not that I needed it because I totally had those guys.”

“Oh yeah?” she said as she approached him with a sway to her hips that should have been outlawed on every inhabited planet in the galaxy. “That guy with the tusks would have choked on your bones as he ate you. I’m certain that would have shown him what for, wouldn’t you agree?”

He blinked twice in response to her observation. Then he gushed, “I mean that…that was awesome! So, I’m Winn,” he said as he held out his hand in greeting.

She stared down at his hand for a brief moment before she glanced up at his face and shook his hand.  “Lyra Strayd.”

#

“Hey, Kara.”

The reporter was at her desk in the bullpen at Catco when she glanced up from her terminal and smiled at her sister.

“Hi, Alex! I’m so glad to see you!” the alien gushed, jumped up and gave her sister a hug. Then she whispered, “I followed your advice about Lena and now we’re dating!”

“That…that’s nice, Kara. I’m glad that it worked out for you,” the brunette declared softly.

Kara pulled back a bit from their embrace and studied Alex’s face.  “What’s wrong, Alex?”

“It-it’s nothing…really.”

“Alex…just tell me, please?”

The elder sister sighed. “Did you know the mayor and the police chief are apologizing to Lena for arresting her last week?”

Kara nodded. “Of course, I know! Isn’t it wonderful the city is atoning for what had happened to her? I wished I could have been assigned to cover it but that’s Dave McIntyre’s beat, so he’s writing the story.”

“Yeah, well, Maggie just called me and she’s pretty down in the dumps. It seems the Chief of Police came down hard on her entire precinct due to the fact she’d arrested your girlfriend. As a result, the city’s Civil Service Commission will conduct an inquest to determine if Maggie may have violated Lena’s civil rights and subject her to disciplinary action.”

“Why do they need an inquest to determine that? Clearly, Maggie’s guilty.”

Alex shot a hard look at her sister but Kara was having none of it and returned her sister’s glare with one of her own.

“Kara…do you know what you’re saying?”

“I know exactly what I’m saying, Alex. Look, when she came to arrest Lena, I tried to get Maggie to see reason.  I told her she should allow Lena to try and explain her side of the story or allow her to present an alibi. Yet Maggie wouldn’t even hear me out.  She told me to stay out of it. And against my better judgment, I stepped aside.”

Then the blonde shook her head and said, “You know, I was so naïve that the thought never even occurred to me that your girlfriend would be so quick to judge Lena that she hadn’t even checked to see if the video had been doctored.  So I watched, while a little of me died inside, as Maggie humiliated Lena by frog-marching an innocent woman through her own building, in front of Jess and all of her employees, only to place her in a cell where guards hurled insults at her, treated her with disrespect, and failed to stop Metallo from kidnapping her!”

“Kara,” Alex spoke quietly and evenly. She needed for Kara not to lose her temper and say something that someone might overhear. “Maybe you should dial it down a bit. I know you were upset when Lena was arrested. I get that. But there was no way Maggie could have foreseen Lena’s abduction.”

“If that’s true, why was James able to foresee it? He was there, maybe for the wrong reasons because he believed Lena was guilty. But at least he tried to stop Metallo. Where was your girlfriend? Oh, that’s right. She was with you at your place celebrating a job well done!”

When the look on Alex's face had appeared as if Kara had slapped her sister, the blonde gasped and raised both hands to cover her own mouth. “Oh…my…God. I-I’m so sorry. I-I didn’t mean that.  I-I don’t know what just happened.  I just snapped.”

Alex sighed and said, “Kara…stop.  Don’t lie to me. I know you meant what you’d just said. Look, I thought we’d learned our lessons from when you were infected by Red Kryptonite. Even if what you want to say to me is hard for me to hear, I still need you to talk to me about it. I honestly had no idea you felt this way about what had happened between Maggie and Lena…even though I should have. Let’s face it; if the shoe had been on the other foot and Lena had done something to hurt Maggie, I would be upset with your girlfriend, if that had been the case.”

Kara stepped forward, the fear she may have harmed her relationship with her sister plainly evident in her azure eyes. “But I made it personal to you. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Well, she is my girlfriend, so it’s kinda hard not to,” Alex drawled.

“I guess so but I’m still very sorry I said those things about her to you.”

“I know,” Alex said while drawing her sister into her arms. “Even so, you have a right to feel what you want to feel, Kara. You have a right to be angry, to be afraid, and to be loved. And I understand the need to do everything you can to protect the ones you love. Now maybe you’re right Maggie was in too much of a hurry to arrest Lena because of her family name. I don’t personally believe that but I could be wrong.”

“Maybe,” Kara mumbled into the curve of Alex’s neck, “I’m still ticked off about it because she never offered an apology to Lena or me for arresting her on the basis of a bogus video when James had apologized for his rush to judge Lena.”

“That’s a fair point,” Alex agreed. “I think it would be a good idea if you discussed that issue with Maggie calmly and rationally,” then she paused for several beats and added, “a week from now. She should be more approachable then.”

“Okay, if you say so, Alex.”

In response, Alex said nothing. She simply smiled and basked in the warmth of her sister’s embrace.

#

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this story. Critiques, reviews and comments are always appreciated!


	11. I Can Feel It Coming in the Air Tonight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arisia has a date, Winn isn't certain if he's going to get lucky or lose his head, literally, and Kara and Lena grow even closer.

“Um…I just noticed that the young woman seated at the table behind you is…blue.”

Arisia Rrub glanced over her shoulder while she was seated in one of the booths of the alien bar that Kara had recommended to her. The place was bustling and a bit rustic compared to some of the establishments she’d been in throughout the galaxy. But both it and the company she kept at the moment were both nice. Then when she saw the woman in question, she turned back to face Steve Trevor, her date for the evening. “Yes, she _is_ quite blue. She’s very cute but she’s kind of young-looking. You don’t strike me as a cradle-robber, Steve.”

He chuckled. “No. I was only making an observation. And I certainly wasn’t looking to hook up with her. That wouldn’t speak well of me, particularly when you invited me to this interesting water hole to spend time with you.”

“So, you _are_ an officer and a gentleman!”

“I’d like to think so.  Anyway, thank you for bringing me to this place. I had no idea there were bars that welcomed aliens in this town.”

“How come?”

“Well, there are some people, a lot of them happen to be people who watch one of our more politically conservative cable television news channels and even though they aren't as strident about their feelings as the members of Cadmus are, they still don’t like to associate with extraterrestrials.”

“And you don’t count yourself among those people?”

“Well, I’m here tonight with you, aren’t I?”

She nodded. “That’s true.”

He smiled and asked, “If you don’t mind, I’d love to hear a little about your homeworld.”

A wistful expression dawned on her face. “Graxnos IV is a very green world. Our forests cover nearly seventy percent of the planet. My people believe in living in harmony with our ecosystem.  Long ago, we developed hydrogen power fuel cells that wouldn’t harm the environment and used them for all of our energy needs along with fusion generators. Our buildings and architecture reflect our society’s belief in being in balance with nature. For instance, our tallest buildings are actually huge living trees that have had areas carefully carved into the trunk to preserve the tree and provide work and living spaces for my people.  If you flew over one of our largest cities from space during a night cycle, other than the lights and the spaceports, you couldn’t really tell where the cities were located amongst all the green.”

Trevor’s face had an amazed expression on it.  “Wow! That sounds so beautiful and quite different from how we live here on Earth.”

“Well, yes, but it works well for us. We don’t have the need to build so many buildings as you do because our population is much smaller than yours.  You see, our society is peaceful and we have longer lifespans than your people due to the way our biology works in connection with the very oblong orbit our planet has around our sun. Since we don’t lose people to disease, war or famine, we don’t birth nearly as many children as your people do,” she noted before she paused to empty her glass.  “On my homeworld, we reach adulthood when we’re ten. For you though, that would be age forty.  I’m twenty Graxnos years old.”

“So you’re eighty years old on my world.”

She grinned and nodded.

“Well, the men in my family have always had a thing for older women, so I guess it’s not a problem for me in the slightest.  Would you care for another drink, Arisia?”

“That sounds nice, Steve. I’d love one,” she answered as she gazed at the ruggedly handsome human male through lowered lashes.

#

Near the bar counter, across the space from Arisia and Trevor, Winn rushed over to the alien woman who’d been awaiting his arrival and nearly had a stroke. Tonight, Lyra was dressed in a little black dress that showed a lot of cleavage through a shoelace window. Her hair was free and loose, with waves in her blonde hair like Kara’s when she was Supergirl. And the short hem of her dress revealed a whole lot of luscious leg.

“Hey…hey! I’m so sorry. Sorry, I’m late,” he breathed.

She regarded him with narrowed and suspicious eyes. “You’d better have a good reason.”

“I do. I just got us reservations at Saxons, which on Valentine’s Day, is harder than getting a hellgramite to eat leafy greens! So, we are set for eight and…um…you could tell me all about Starhaven and I’ll tell you all about growing up in Newark.”

She said nothing.  She simply looked at him as if she was a famished patron considering a delectable choice from a restaurant’s menu.  And considering the fact he really didn’t know much about her species, he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing.  Maybe her people approached mating in a similar way as praying mantises did on Earth, which might be great for her, but would pretty much suck for him since he’d be headless and all.

Putting that troubling notion aside, he said, “Then I’d thought we’d get a nightcap and talk some more.  I just feel like…um…when dating it’s better to get to know—”

Suddenly, she launched herself at him, pulling his head towards hers and capturing his lips with her mouth. After she withdrew from the erotic kiss, she tugged a bit roughly on his bottom lip with her teeth. Upon releasing it, she whispered, “I want you.”

Nearly incapable of believing his good fortune, he stammered, “I-I mean…um…that’s good, too.”

Then she manhandled him into another passionate kiss and caused him to trip and stumble onto the top of one of the bar tables while a Graxnos IV resident loudly grumbled, “By the Triple-Fish God, get a room already!”

#  

Lena realized something wasn’t right when Kara hadn’t answered her door with her usual ‘Sunny Danvers’ brightness and beaming smiles. Instead, she crept gently toward the brunette and embraced her, apparently seeking comfort.

“What’s wrong, darling?”

“It’s—it’s nothing.”

“Kara…we agreed when we became lovers there’d be no secrets between us.  Please tell me what’s wrong.”

She felt the blonde nod against her shoulder.  “I-I said some things about Maggie to Alex that I shouldn’t have said.”

Lena gently withdrew a bit from their embrace and guided Kara back inside the girl’s apartment. She bumped the door with her hip to close it behind them and escorted Kara over to the sofa. Once they were seated, she asked, “Did your conversation with your sister have anything to do with the city’s apology to me?”

“Yes,” Kara admitted softly. “The Chief of Police was so angry that they had arrested you on the basis of a bogus video that Maggie’s precinct will face an inquest.”

“Oh, Kara! I never meant to get Detective Sawyer or any of her colleagues into hot water over this. I just used the situation to entice the mayor into pushing through a better relocation package and more tax credits for my company to move the pharmaceutical enterprise to the city. It was purely a business move on my part, nothing more.”

Kara shyly glanced up at her. “You weren’t going to sue the city?”

She shook her head.  “No. I don’t need their money and I don’t have the time to rehash the incident and keep it going for months in the press if I sued the city. I simply used the threat of the suit as a feint, like in chess. It drew the mayor’s attention away from something I really wanted, allowing me to win the game.”

“That’s actually…kind of brilliant!”

She smiled at her beautiful girlfriend. “I’m happy you think so, love. However, I never considered that my gambit would harm your sister’s girlfriend in any way, shape or form. If it will help your family situation, I would be happy to instruct my lawyer to tell city hall that I would be very upset if anyone’s job was impacted by the city.”

Kara gently hugged her then kissed her sweetly on the lips. “You’d do that for me?”

She chuckled lowly and almost drowned in the blonde’s azure eyes.  “I’d do anything for you,” she vowed.

“Thank you, baby. But I don’t want you to do that.”

“You don’t?”

Kara shook her head.  “Remember when I told you I’d stand up for you, always?” Well, you deserved that apology from the city. They never gave you a chance to explain or to poke holes in that bogus video Henshaw produced. I mean, no one even had a clue where that video had come from. The police didn't even check with your security people to find out who'd released it. Even with that glaring problem, they arrested you in front of your employees and nearly ruined your business reputation after all the work you’d done to make the company a force for good and the money you raised to help the children's hospital. Even worse, they placed you in a position where I couldn’t protect you.  So, if society wants to hold people accountable for their actions then the same should hold true for the police force when they do the wrong thing, too.”

A stunned Lena simply gazed at her girlfriend in awe. Then she gently bit her bottom lip and whispered, “Kara, being your girlfriend these last few days…I feel like i'm caught up in the most wonderful dream I've ever experienced in my entire life. If that's the case, I hope I never, ever wake up to face a reality where we're not together.”

The blonde’s smile was as bright as the sun and it warmed Lena’s very soul. “It’s not a dream, baby. This thing between us is very real. And you deserve to have it all, love and happiness. You are the best person I know and I’m so happy you became my friend then my lover. I love you, Lena. You are my heart, my joy.”

With tears in her eyes, she reached up with her right hand and softly cupped Kara’s cheek in her palm. “Kara Zor-El, I am so humbled that you, who lost almost everything, somehow, never lost your capacity to see the good in people, to see the good in me. You never stopped believing in me and I will do my best to live up to your faith in me. And every day, for the rest of my life, I will thank God for allowing you to find me.  Kara, you are the love of my life,” she whispered before she kissed her beloved and they lost themselves to the passion that swept them both away.

#

It was a little later in the evening after they'd dined and had returned to Kara’s sofa to continue their sensual exploration of each other, when the trill of Kara’s cell phone intruded into their little slice of heaven.

The blonde reluctantly extricated herself from Lena’s arms and answered her phone. While Kara spoke lowly into the device, Lena got up to use the bathroom. Minutes later, she returned to the living room to find a sullen-looking girlfriend.

“Darling, who was on the phone?”

Kara sighed. “Alex. She and Maggie had a pretty rocky Valentine’s Day evening.”

“I’m sorry, Kara. I suppose my gambit with the city didn’t help Detective Sawyer’s mood any.”

“I’m not certain if that had anything to do with what had ruined their night. You see, Alex had tried to put a little plan into motion that she and I had cooked up after Maggie had told her this morning she hated Valentine’s Day because it was over-commercialized.  I thought that if Alex gave Maggie a holiday evening geared to the things Maggie liked, she’d be more accepting of sharing the holiday with my sister instead of insisting on not taking Alex’s feelings into consideration.”

Lena nodded. “That sounds reasonable.”

The blonde chuckled mirthlessly. “Well, according to Alex, instead of being pleasantly surprised, Maggie went ballistic, saying she was upset by a girlfriend who didn’t listen to her.”

Lena shot a wry look at her girlfriend.  “Isn’t that just what the detective did to your sister when she laid down the law about not celebrating the holiday and didn't sound out your sister’s feelings about it?”

“Yes. And before she could just walk out on my sister, Alex challenged her to provide a better explanation for her behavior than she just hated the holiday.  So Maggie had to admit that she’d lied about how her family had accepted her being a lesbian. They found out after Maggie had sent a Valentine’s Day card to a girl in high school. In that card, she'd revealed her feelings for the girl. Unfortunately, the girl gave the card to her parents who then told Maggie’s folks about what was on the card.”

“Oh.”

Kara nodded. “After that, Maggie’s father was so angry with her, he kicked her out of their house. She had to live with some other relatives for three years until she graduated from high school.”

“So, let me get this straight and please excuse the pun,” she stated and Kara smirked. “The detective lied to your sister about why she disliked the holiday and about how she was outed to her family? And she’s upset because she was forced to stop lying to her lover and come clean about it?”

“Actually…that’s a pretty fair assessment of the situation.”

“Kara, that’s not good. She should have been straight about all of that from the start of their relationship. I mean, how would your sister know she was close to stepping on a landmine if she doesn’t even know she’s entered a minefield?”

The blonde pursed her lips then. “True.”

“Look, I never want something like that to happen to us. If you want to know anything about my past, I’d be happy to tell you anything and everything.”

“Okay, Lena. The same goes for me, too.”

“Good.  I want you to know I trust you completely.”

“I trust you, too, baby. If it’s my secret to tell, I’ll share it with you without any reservation or hesitation.”

She bit her lip again right before she gave Kara a peck on her lips. “I’m glad that’s settled. And I do hope that your sister can work things out with the detective.”

Kara shot a mildly exasperated look at her.  “You know, you can call her Maggie like the rest of us.”

She thought about making the point that she usually wouldn’t want to be on a first name basis with someone who’d arrested her for a crime she hadn’t committed but she decided discretion was the better part of valor in this instance. “I’ll consider doing so, for your sake, darling.” Then she gave her alien lover a very tender look. “Kara…even though we talked about my issues with the city and your sister’s issues with…Maggie,” both Kara and she grinned when she’d used the detective’s Christian name, “I don’t mind telling you this is the best Valentine’s Day I’ve ever had.”

“The same goes for me, too, baby.”

She hugged her lover close and whispered, “May I stay the night? I just want to sleep with you and hold you in my arms. I would love to make love to you but after the trying day we both had, you with your sister and me with the city, I think we should wait until the time is right for us.”

“Okay, as long as we don’t wait too long.  I really want to be with you.”

“And I with you, _a rúnsearc.”_

“Let’s go get ready for bed then,” the blonde whispered before the couple walked hand-in-hand into Kara’s bedroom.

#

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this story. Critiques, reviews and comments are always appreciated!


	12. Strangers on a Plane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse Chambers arrives at National City International and runs into a lot of trouble!

"Excuse me, aren't you Jesse Chambers?"

"Yes."

"I thought I recognized you from those New York Times articles about you. You know, it must be pretty exciting to be so important." 

Jesse Chambers smiled thinly at the handsome woman who styled her hair in a pixie cut seated beside her in the first class cabin. Jesse always flew first class because the amount of food the attendants served to the high paying patrons helped supplement the vast quantities of snacks she always carried with her to maintain her high metabolism. 'Running a small media company like Quickstart isn't so important. It's not like I'm Cat Grant," she said to her fellow passenger.

"But people who do things are important. I never do anything. I suppose you're going to National City for business?"

"Something like that," she told the brunette woman. They hadn't really conversed that much during the flight from JFK to California. It had been only during the last fifteen minutes after their last in-flight snack they'd spoken to each other. Although the woman's English was impeccable, Jesse could tell it was her second language. She plainly heard a strong hint of a Central European accent, possibly German. Of course, having just met the woman, she had no reason to tell her that she'd flown to the opposite coast for several reasons. She needed the help of her genius-level old boarding school roommate to help her with the abilities she inherited from her father. He was gone now, dying as the hero he'd been while an entire world was at war. She also needed some time away from the wreckage that was her relationship with her mother.

"Sometimes," the other woman now said, "I turn from the business and finance pages to see the society section. And the photographs. Your mother is quite lovely. She looks almost as if she could be your sister!”

"You're quite a reader, Ms. ...?"

 **"** Müller, PaulaMüller. Yes, I am. Ask me anything. From today's sports news to technology trends, I have the answer, even about people I don't know. Like who would like to marry whom...and the scandal that goes with a daughter being investigated for the murder of her mother's fiancé."

Jesse glared at the woman. "Perhaps you read too much."

The other passenger regarded her with an innocent expression on her face but Jesse could tell it was faked. "Oh, there I go again! I'm afraid this happens too often. I meet someone who I like and admire, and I say too much. Please accept my deepest apologies, Ms. Chambers."

"Don't worry about it. No harm done," she murmured before she reclined her seat and cut off any further conversation by closing her eyes and pretending to fall asleep.

#

“Jesse! Over here!”

For the first time in nearly a week, a genuine smile dawned on her face at the sound of her old roommate’s voice. She strode toward the other woman with her carry-on bag now depleted of all the food she’d brought aboard the jet liner over her shoulder. Jesse felt a little sheepish because she’d completely gone casual for the flight, garbed in a polo shirt, tight shorts, a pair of leggings and her sneakers while Lena, as usual, was dressed to the nines. What seemed quite unusual was the fact her impeccably dressed friend was standing quite close to a young blonde woman who stood almost as tall as Jesse herself. The lithe-looking blonde’s hair was styled in an intricate pony tail that allowed wisps of her hair to frame her lovely face where a pair of nondescript eyeglasses rested on the bridge of her nose. She also wore a cute yellow A-line dress with a brown belt cinched around her wasp-thin abdomen.

When she’d reached the two women, Lena stepped forward and embraced her so tenderly, Jesse couldn’t help but be a bit thrown by the gesture. Her old roommate had always been nice but she’d always seemed unwilling to let most people cross into her zone of intimacy. “Jesse, it’s so wonderful to see you again! Did you have a good flight?”

She pulled back a little to look into Lena’s flawless face. “I did. Thanks for asking.”

Lena flashed her a smile that showed the woman’s pearly white teeth. “And how is that lovely mother of yours? I don’t know how she does it but I’d swear she looks more like she’s your slightly elder sister!”

Jesse forced a smile, even as the guilt burned like a hot poker straight through her heart. “She’s doing…well. As you can imagine, the last few years have been a little rough for her, after losing both my father and her fiancé. I think, though, that things will begin to go her way soon.”

“That’s good to hear,” Lena said. Then the L Corp. CEO gave her that intense gaze she often had when something had completely captivated the brunette. “Jesse, this beautiful lady,” Lena indicated with an intense look of devotion at the young blonde, “is my beloved girlfriend, Kara Danvers. Kara,” she then said to the other woman, “this is Jesse Chambers.”

The girl’s smile was so bright and cheery Jesse almost had to put on her sunglasses to dampen the glare. “Hey, Jesse! I’m so happy to finally meet you! Lena has said so many wonderful things about you I feel as if I already know you!”

“Thank you, Kara! That’s so nice of you to say!”

Lena smiled warmly, apparently pleased that Kara and she had seemed to hit it off. “Do we need to go to the first level to claim your checked baggage?”

She nodded. “Before we go down there, do you think we have some time for me to hit the convenience store on this level? I need to stock up on my food supplies.”

“I think we can do that. Kara may even need to buy some items, as we—”

“Fraulein Chambers!”

She and her companions, as well as dozens of people who’d been rushing through that section of the terminal turned toward the sound of that powerful voice. The accent of the person speaking sounded strongly Germanic and Jesse experienced a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach when they saw her. 

She was dressed from head to toe in a skintight, yellow spandex suit trimmed with purple gloves and boots.  On her thighs were purple lightning bolts and on her chest was a purple German eagle that she’d seen when she’d conducted research of the Second World War for her thesis. The woman’s face was completely covered by her mask except for a dark pair of speed-skater googles that protected her eyes.

A gobsmacked Jesse Chambers stared at the figure as if it was a ghost because, in fact, that seemed to be the only explanation she could come up with at the moment. “Blitzkrieg?! But...it can’t be! You’re obviously a woman,” she stated, and had to admit, at least to herself, that the woman’s body was exceptionally well-sculpted, “and the Baron, was, well…a man!”

Still, the costume was basically the Baron’s with a few stylistic changes. She had researched him and the rest of her parent’s enemies from World War II when she’d written her college thesis on the superheroes, or as they’d been called back then, mystery men of the era. Her mom had been Liberty Belle, America’s Super-strong Sweetheart, and her dad had been Johnny Quick, the Fastest Man Alive. With the other members of President Roosevelt’s All Star Squadron, her folks had helped turn the tide against the Axis Powers and won the war.

Now the woman in yellow announced, “Let me just say the Baron was a close relative of mine, fraulein. For the few seconds that remain in your cursed life, you may refer to me as Baroness Blitzkrieg.”

“So, it seems you’re here to kill me,” she observed and sighed. _Of course, she is,_ she mused to herself. _This is just the cherry on top of the whipped cream swirled on top of the shit-storm that is my life!_

Even though she couldn’t see the woman’s face, she had the feeling there was an evil smirk under her mask. “Come now, let us not be coy, fraulein. I am a member of the Fourth Reich! We are dedicated to bringing Hitler’s dream of power back to life. To accomplish this great task, the benefactor of our movement has decreed the offspring of the mystery men who’d opposed the Third Reich during the war must pay for the sins of their parents with their lives! It might interest you to know that I flew with you from New York. In fact, I could have killed you at any time during the flight. But you were spared until I could take your life in a public place surrounded by hundreds, perhaps thousands of Americans who can do nothing but stand by and watch you die!”

Despite the danger, Jesse couldn’t help but grin at the woman.  “Based on the stories my folks used to tell me about the Baron, you must be related to him because you love to hear yourself rant as much as he used to!  Also, ‘paying for the sins of our parents?!’ Kind of sounds like something out of the Old Testament, which I thought you nutjobs wouldn’t use as inspiration for anything even if your lives depended upon it...I’m just saying.”

Surprisingly, she heard a pleased chuckle from her old roommate’s girlfriend. “Lena, I LIKE her!”

“Jesse, take care you don’t set off the ticking-time-bomb lady,” Lena murmured lowly.

The German woman, however, was not amused. “Your death, as well as your friends', will be very, very painful. I will remove all of your appendages and allow you to bleed to death as you shriek in agony. You’ll beg me to end your suffering.”

Now Jesse frowned. If this woman had all of the powers the Baron had possessed, she didn’t know if she stood a chance against her. She could match the Baron’s strength and she was much faster than he’d been. However, his crude heat vision which was reportedly not as effective as either Superman’s or Supergirl’s, might give her fits. So, the first thing she needed to do was take the battle away from Lena, Kara and the rest of the people inside the terminal.

Yet, before she could make a move, several airport police officers stood about ten yards away from the woman in yellow with their weapons trained on her.  “Hands on your head and down on your knees!” one of the officers ordered.

Jesse spied the sneer this time even through the fabric of the woman’s mask. “Fools! I have neither the time nor inclination to suffer you whatsoever!” she barked in the second before her form blurred. Certain that she was the only person present who could follow the woman’s motion, Jesse forced herself not to scream while the Baroness ran into each officer with her arms leading the way, moving so fast that they literally were organic threshing machines. They ripped the bodies of the hapless officers in half and in a blink of an eye, gore showered on dozens of horrified bystanders who’d been unfortunate enough to have stood too close to Blitzkrieg’s macabre attack.

Frantic now, she whirled toward Lena. “Go!  Get Kara out of here!”

“What are you going to do?” Lena yelled over the pandemonium of the people in the terminal screaming and racing for the exits.

“I’ll lead her outside somewhere she can’t hurt anyone. Hopefully I can fend her off until Supergirl can get here!”

“But…she has super speed!” Kara exclaimed.

“Yeah but so do I! Now go!”

As Lena and Kara seemed to head toward the exits, albeit reluctantly, she turned to face the Baroness. “Hey, you Nazi bitch! Catch me if you can!” Then she recited the formula her father had taught her when she was five years old, the formula that had made her exceptional just like him. “3X2(9YZ)4A!”

As the lightning gathered around her body and a wicked smile broke out across Jesse’s face, the yellow-clad woman stammered, “ _Mein gott! Was ist das_?”

“Hey, you aren’t supposed to believe in the Jewish God!” she teased. “Now let’s see just how fast you really are.  Race ya!” Jesse challenged then took off for the tarmac at slightly below the speed of sound with Blitzkrieg in hot pursuit.

She sped out the terminal not even bothering to slow down and open any doors. She simply vibrated her molecules so she could pass through them as her father had taught her to do when she was fourteen years old. Unfortunately, she didn’t have time to reach her suitcase and dress in the uniform she’d designed to honor her dad but it really didn’t matter. She was moving so fast no one would be able to identify her and the aura generated by the speed force protected her clothes from air friction.

Now she took the opportunity to glance over her shoulder to locate the Baroness and was shocked to find the woman had caught up with her.

“ _Guten Morgen_ , Fraulein Chambers. Moving a bit slow, aren’t you, considering you must have inherited your speed from your accursed father?”

The New York native blinked far faster than any human being with the exception of the woman racing against her. _Goose-stepping bitch_ , she fumed. The reason she’d come out to the West Coast was to consult with Lena to see if her braniac friend could help Jesse improve her speed since her father was no longer here to coach her.

Unfortunately, she needed to be faster right now.

However, she wasn’t going to just give in to this murderess. “You may be a touch faster than me but I’m stronger than you are. One punch at these speeds and you’ll be like a bug striking a windshield at a hundred miles per hour. If you’re smart, you’ll give up.”

“Do you think I’d get close enough to allow you to strike me?” the Baroness asked while she sped right past Jesse, flipped around and was actually running _backwards_ at super speed! Then she reached inside an expandable pocket stitched on her costume’s right thigh and drew out a handful of items. Suddenly she tossed some small balls right in Jesse’s path. “I can simply spread rubber balls in your way, fraulein. Children’s toys. But at your speed they will strike like autocannon bullets!”

There was no chance to avoid them. They struck her like several hammer blows from the Norse God of Thunder, knocking her off her feet and sending her body skidding across the hard pavement for a distance of two football fields. Fortunately, her aura had kept her from being skinned alive by the fall but she struggled to draw a breath. Several of her ribs had to have been busted by those damn balls, she thought. Even though her body struggled to heal at an accelerated rate of speed thanks to her connection to the speed force, she needed a lot more time to completely recover from this clusterfuck of epic proportions, time she didn’t have because the Baroness was slowly striding toward her to deliver the inevitable killing blow.

That had been the case until angry azure beams of heat and light struck the pavement utterly halting her enemy’s approach.

Now both her opponent and she stared up into the sky in awe at the sight of two wrathful goddesses hovering overhead. The first had hair that gleamed like spun gold in the morning sun. She was garbed in red and blue with yellow trim, her crimson cape waving proudly behind her in the wind. The other’s hair was black with mahogany highlights that glistened in the morning’s light. She wore a form-fitting uniform, its colors were emerald and ebony. Her body appeared to float inside a green energy field and her masked eyes gazed down upon the Baroness as if they belonged to an avenging fury from Olympus on high.

“Please…refuse to surrender,” the dark angel growled.

At that moment, an extra burst of strength that Jesse had absolutely no idea from where it had originated caused her to lash out with her legs and entangle them with both of Blitzkrieg’s feet.

The murderess stumbled badly and tried to use her super speed to break and recover from her fall. However, before the Baroness could even take another step, emerald energy flashed from a green ring on the brunette’s right hand and astounded both speedsters when it formed into a jade clamp which fastened itself around the Baroness’ upper torso and locked the woman's deadly arms to her side. The ring bearer then yanked the yellow-clad woman up so her feet were off the ground, allowing Supergirl to streak down and deliver a single punch which knocked Blitzkrieg down and out for the count.

Moments later both the Kryptonian and the woman in green and black touched down on either side of her. “Jesse!” the one with the mask said, her voice sounding a bit like Lena’s. That’s when she knew she was going to lose consciousness because she felt the ground spinning beneath her and she had to be out of her mind to confuse her old roommate for a freaking superhero! “We need to get you to a hospital!”

“No…no hospitals.  Just…need to rest. My powers will heal me.” As it became harder for her to even think, she asked, her words slurred, “D-did w-we stop her?”

It was hard to focus on Supergirl’s gentle smile because blackness began to intrude upon the edges of her eyesight. “You did it, Jesse. You stopped her.”

“Um…t-that’s good. Um…I-I think I’m going t-to p-pass out n-no—”

Then she did.

#

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this story. Critiques, reviews and comments are always appreciated!


	13. Faux News—“We Distort, You Decide!”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Jesse recovers from her injuries, the media goes into a feeding frenzy.

5:00 pm Local Time

“Good evening. I’m Brett Perino,” the attractive, petite blonde commentator who'd been a press secretary for a former conservative president announced. “Welcome to Fox News’…well, we don’t really have a name for this spot in the program yet. This morning, the host of the show that had run in this time slot for many years and Fox News have amicably parted ways. For the moment, though, let’s focus on the terrorist attack that occurred this morning in Terminal B of the National City International Airport. We are sad to report that four airport security officers lost their lives in an attempt to apprehend an alleged terrorist who has been preliminarily identified as a metahuman. For more on this story, let’s go to a recorded interview that our early afternoon program, _Happening Now_ , had with a Catco Worldwide Media reporter who happened to be on the scene during the attack.”

The view then shifted to a smarmy looking man with chestnut hair in a gray suit sitting beside a stunning blonde woman in a bright red dress.

The man spoke first. “It has been reported that a terrorist attack has just occurred at National City’s International Airport at approximately 9:30 am Pacific time. We were able to get a first-hand account courtesy of a reporter from Catco Worldwide Media. We’re now joined by reporter Kara Danvers.”

The producer then placed a split screen on the monitor showing the _Happening Now_ hosts in one screen and Kara in the other. “Kara,” the man said, “thank you for joining us on the program.”

“You’re welcome, Jon. Thank you for having me on the show.”

“What can you tell us about the terrorist attack, Kara?”

“Jon, in a word, it was terrifying. This morning, there were many people rushing about inside National City International's Terminal B, greeting friends and loved ones who’d just arrived or saying goodbye to those who were on their way to far off destinations. These innocent travelers’ day, though, was disrupted when a woman dressed in a yellow spandex suit loudly challenged one of their fellow travelers. The woman, who my sources tell me has been identified as Paula Müller, a German citizen with suspected ties to a radical fascist group in that country that call itself the Fourth Reich, allegedly threatened to kill this traveler she had singled out from the crowd. In response, four officers covered her with their weapons and commanded her to surrender. However, in the blink of an eye, she covered the distance between the officers and herself and whirled her arms at super speed, basically turning them into incredibly deadly weapons that literally ripped the officers in half.”

“Kara, this is Jenna Malone. Are you telling our viewers that horrifying event happened right before your very eyes?”

“I’m afraid so, Jenna.”

“What happened next?”

“Apparently, the targeted traveler, who we have been asked by authorities to avoid disclosing her identity to protect her from reprisals, also possesses super speed. She courageously used her ability to draw the alleged terrorist out of the terminal onto the tarmac where no one else was endangered. Then I saw the traveler, with the assistance of Supergirl and National City's new hero, apprehend the suspect and turn her over to the custody of Homeland Security.”

“You mentioned a new hero, Kara,” Jon stated.

“Yes, she calls herself the Green Lantern. She told me she was sent here to help protect our planet from those who'd do it harm. She also mentioned she intends to work with Supergirl on some of her future cases.”

“Green Lantern?” Jenna asked. “What an odd _nom de plume_. Did she tell you anything about her powers?”

“Yes. I also saw her fly alongside Supergirl under her own power. Apparently, she possesses a ring provided to her by an intergalactic law enforcement agency allegedly governed by alien intelligences so advanced humanity would be microbes in comparison to them. The Lantern said her ring allows her to travel through outer space and to manipulate energy in any shape or form she desires. If what she has told me about her ring is true and considering it must be incredibly advanced technology from the start, it may be safe to say it is capable of doing almost anything.”

“Why...that’s…that’s…incredible!” Jon whispered.

Although her partner was stunned by Kara’s description of the Green Lantern, Jenna tried to take up the slack. “Kara, what can you tell us about this Müller woman?”

“My sources at Interpol said she’s probably an enforcer for a German fascist cell that calls itself the Fourth Reich. Apparently, its goal is to topple the democratic government of Germany and replace it with one party rule patterned after Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime.”

“Kara, one more question,” Jenna said. “Were either of the speedsters aliens?”

The blonde Catco reporter shot an annoyed glare at the other woman for a moment before she answered her question. “None of my sources believe either one is an alien. They believe, at least in the case of the suspect, that she’s a metahuman.”

“All right then,” Jon said. “I guess we’ll have to leave it at that.  Kara, thank you for taking the time to come on our show.”

“You’re welcome, Jon. Thanks again for having me.”

When the split screen and Kara disappeared, he looked into the camera. “Ladies and gentlemen, that was Kara Danvers, courtesy of Catco Worldwide Media, a very courageous and poised young woman.”

“I’ll say, Jon. Although she doesn’t look it at first blush, she’s definitely a tough cookie!”

“That’s for sure, Jenna. Now, we’ll turn to our analysts, Ann Malkin and Charles Kronkite to get their take on the airport terrorist attack.”

Now the screen showed a thin, emaciated, harpy-like blonde woman and a slightly gray haired man in the twilight of his middle age seated at the desk on Jenna’s left. “So, guys,” Jenna asked, “any thoughts?”

#

10:05 Local Time

“Supergirl, the prisoner is secure in her containment cell,” J’onn reported as he strode purposefully onto the DEO’s rooftop toward the Kryptonian. “Why did you ask me to meet you up here?”

“She asked you as a favor to me, J’onn J’onzz.”

He whirled toward the new voice and found what appeared to be a human woman who stood a few inches shorter than Kara wearing a green domino mask to disguise her facial features along with the uniform of a Green Lantern.

He couldn’t hear her thoughts and realized she was using her power ring to shield her mind. “Who are you?”

“I am the Green Lantern for this sector of space. I inherited the position from Abin Sur when I found him after his ship crashed in the Mojave Desert. After his ring chose me as his successor, he died in my arms.  I’m very sorry that your good friend has passed away.”

He blinked several times to hold back his tears. He could grieve later when he was alone in his quarters. Now, he studied the shapely, for a human, woman. “You must be exceptional for the ring to find you worthy.”

She gave him a look that appeared a little uncertain. “I know I can never replace a Lantern of Abin Sur’s caliber but I will do my best to uphold his legacy for protecting the innocent and serving the cause of justice.”

He gave her a full smile then. “Well-spoken—Green Lantern.”

“J’onn,” Kara said, “the Lantern and I can’t stay long. I’ve got to return to the airport as Kara and cover the story about the Baroness.” He then glared at her and she rolled her eyes. “Yes, she knows my secret identity and I know hers.  We trust each other completely.  Anyway, the Lantern has to see to the safety of the Baroness’ target. But, before we go, the Lantern thought you might want to look into her memories to share your friend’s last moments.”

He was stunned.  “You would do that for me?” he asked the emerald clad woman.

She nodded. “The ring showed me how he treasured his friendship with you and how much he admired you. He always believed you were the best man he’d ever known.” Then she willed away her mask and lowered her mental shields.

His lips trembling from controlling his emotions, he changed into his true form then leaned toward the woman he now knew was Lena Luthor and brought his forehead down and gently pressed it against hers. As her time with Abin Sur flashed through his mind, he was so grateful to her for trying to help his friend as much as she had until Abin had drawn his last breath.

Soon, he backed slightly away from Lena. “I am in your debt. Thank you for your kindness.”

“You don’t owe me a thing, J’onn.”

“In any case, I want you to know your secret is safe with me.”

“Thank you, J’onn.  Also, now that I have the ring, I no longer need a DEO security detail for protection. Now I must be going. Stay safe,” she said before she began to float off the roof up into the California sky.

As he watched the both of them go, he felt less like a stranger in a strange land than he had in a very, very long time.

#

5:10 pm Local Time

“I’m just saying if President Marsdin hadn’t opened the floodgates for aliens to live among us, attacks like what happened at the airport this morning would be less likely to occur!”

Kronkite shot an exasperated glare at Ann Malkin. “What in the blue blazes are you talking about? Didn’t you hear that Catco reporter, for God’s sakes? She clearly said aliens weren’t involved in this incident. The terrorist is a metahuman, not an alien. The only alien who was involved is Supergirl, the one who arrested her to protect the public!”

“Yeah, well, your so-called good alien nearly got us all killed last year when her blood feud with her own kind got dangerously out of hand.”

He rolled his eyes then. “Ann, what does that have to do with the terrorist attack at the airport? It was a human being, albeit one with enhanced abilities due to her genetic makeup.”

“Charles, do I look like a science geek to you? I don’t care if she’s an alien or a metahuman. If she has powers that can slice and dice cops into Julien fries, she should be registered just like aliens.”

“There you go, Ann, tossing the United States Constitution out on its ear for no good reason. First, the terrorist isn’t even an American citizen and wasn’t living in America, so she wouldn’t be registered even if the Act applied to metas! Second, metas are human beings and as long as they were born in this country they wouldn’t be required to register for anything like what we require for extra-terrestrial beings who come here.”

“All right, Charles, I’ll concede that point. But that begs the question why the German government allowed such a dangerous meta with connections to a known terrorist cell to travel to our country. It’s always the same; those weak-willed socialist countries don’t give a damn when one of their citizens come over to our country and raise holy havoc!”

#

While Arisia was trying to stop laughing because her sides were beginning to hurt so much, her three companions wondered what in the hell did she think was so funny about what they were watching.

#

12:02 pm Local Time

“Take this to lay out, ponytail.”

“Right, Chief!” Kara exclaimed.

As she turned to go, he muttered, “Danvers…way to keep your head in the game when all that shit was going down at the airport. You may have trouble sometimes stringing two sentences together but the thing I know that you’ve got, without a doubt, is guts. You did good, Danvers.”

A tiny smile dawned on her face. Then she decided she wasn’t going to stay around and press her luck. “I just maintained my focus on getting the story, Snapper.  I learned that from you. Thanks for being a good teacher. Now, I’d better get this article down to lay out.”

After she’d returned to her desk once she’d posted the story, she received a call from her sister.

“Hi, Alex!”

_“Don’t you ‘Hi, Alex!' me, Kara Linda Danvers!”_

_Oh, shit,_ a nervous Kara thought. _Alex really must be pissed at me if she’s channeling Eliza!_

Alex was just getting started. _“I cannot believe you didn’t even bother to call me after you dropped that yellow-clad skinhead skank at the…facility!”_

“I’m really sorry about that, Alex. I didn’t have time to call because I had to come into work and file my story. And before I could even do that, the executive producer of our cable network had me give an interview to our on-air talent before Ms. Grant herself farmed me out to the other cable news networks to rub it in their faces that Catco Worldwide Media had scooped them all. I can tell you I didn’t think I could do it but Cat told me she believed in me. She said, ‘Just pretend you’re me when I was younger and hope to God that the high-def camera won’t show how cheap the fabric of your outfit is to the viewers.’”

_“Yeah, well, I saw you on TV. First, let me tell you that you owned that interview, girl! I’m so very, very proud of you. You were polished and poised.”_

“Thanks, Alex!”

_“I am worried, though, that with the video of your broadcast during Myriad that’s all over Youtube, someone might make a comparison of Kara to you-know-who.”_

In response, she snorted and guffawed. “Alex, please! No one in their right mind would ever think that mild-mannered reporter Kara Danvers is…you-know-who!”

 _“Oh, Kara,”_ her sister murmured worriedly. _“I just pray that you’re right. Say, do you want to hang out at your place and celebrate your great performance by having an impromptu sisters’ night?”_

“Actually…tonight isn’t good for me. I already committed to be at Lena’s place.”

_“Really? Well, have fun…but not too much fun. I don’t even want to think about Lena Luthor defiling my baby sister. There’s not enough bleach in the world to help cleanse my head of that disturbing image, trust me.”_

“Uh huh, got it. No defiling. Check.”

_“Is that sarcasm I’m hearing?”_

“What?! Who me? Sarcastic?”

_“Okay, smart ass. You be good, you hear?”_

“No problem, Alex. Lena tells me when I’m good, I’m very, very good. She also said, when I’m bad, I’m even better!”

_“Kara Linda Danvers!”_

“Oh, Snapper’s calling me! Gotta go! Love you! Bye!”

After she disconnected the call she smiled and muttered to herself, “You know, it feels good to finally have the last word for a change!”

#

5:32 pm Local Time

“Welcome back to our program,” the coolly beautiful Brett Perino declared. “The alleged terrorist at NCX claimed to be a member of a group called the Fourth Reich. Our reporter, Nancy Cummings, has filed this report on this fascist movement that has arisen in modern-day Germany.”

The image cut away from Brett to show black and white movie footage of Adolf Hitler standing on a podium in a stadium as thousands of German soldiers marched for his review. “During World War II,” Cummings stated in a voice over, “Hitler's Germany wasn’t only working on terror weapons like the V-2 rockets that rained down on England. Nazi scientists also tried to use genetics to create superhuman soldiers, living terror weapons, with amazing abilities for the time. The first of these ‘supermen’ was Albrecht Krieger who came to be known as Captain Nazi.”

The image changed to show a muscular blonde man with a crew cut garbed in an olive green uniform with white gloves, a red cape, and a Nazi swastika emblazoned on the chest of his uniform. “Krieger’s scientist father genetically altered his own son to fight for Adolf Hitler. Reportedly, Krieger was nigh invulnerable. Small caliber rounds had no effect on him. He could fly, had enhanced senses, superhuman strength and enhanced speed. As powerful as he was, based on our examination of historical accounts, even in his prime, he would be no match for either the Man of Tomorrow or the Girl of Steel.”

“After Germany’s defeat, Captain Nazi disappeared into the mists of time. However, there are some reports that he has somehow escaped the ravages of old age and may be the one responsible for forming the Fourth Reich. Its goal is to plunge Germany back into the grips of fascism and unleash the horror of another world war on our planet. There isn’t much information on its current membership; however, Interpol believes that a man whose name is Daniel Ducannon is connected to the group. Ducannon is an American citizen who’d been a Grand Dragon in the Ku Klux Klan. Now, with the attack at NCX, we now know Paula Müller is the third member of the group who's been revealed to the world.”

“This is Nancy Cummings reporting for Fox News.”

#

"Well," a now sober pixie-like alien observed, "that was some pretty heavy shit they'd just laid down on us!"

#

4:34 pm Local Time

The soft drone of a television program needled her back to consciousness. Darkness soon bled into gray around the edges of her mind. Jesse Chambers slowly opened her eyes and saw the low ceiling of a bedroom.

“How are you feeling?” Lena asked as she leaned over her, frowning worriedly.

“Kind of sore. Really hungry,” she complained.

“Low blood sugar,” Kara said before she tilted her eyeglasses down the bridge of her nose then stared at her. “I’m happy to report that your ribs have healed completely.”

“Do you feel strong enough to get out of bed?” her friend asked.

“I think so. By the way, where are we?”

“You’re in one of the guest bedrooms in my home.”

“Okay…can you tell me how Supergirl and her friend knew to bring me to your place?”

Lena gave her an inscrutable look. “Let me ask you a few questions, first, okay?”

“All right.”

“When you called and asked to come out and see me, you wanted to show me your powers, right?”

“Yes.”

“How come?”

Jesse sighed. “I…I was born with them.  I inherited the speed from my dad. I got my strength from my mom. They were mystery men back in World War II. Near the end of the war, they were exposed to some strange, mystical energies that kept them from aging at a normal rate. Remember when you met my mom when we were attending boarding school?”

“Yes, I thought she was in her early forties.”

“Lena, my mom had me when she was sixty years old.”

“Oh my God.”

Jesse nodded.  “So I grew up on stories about my parents battling impossible odds against the might of the Axis Powers using only their powers and their wits. After the war, they continued the good fight until McCarthy’s Communist witch hunts in the Fifties forced heroes either to retire or to expose their secret identities to continue being superheroes. The only one who exposed his identity to the world was Ted Grant, the Heavyweight Champion of the World at that time.”

Kara nodded.  “Wildcat.” When the two other women gave her looks, she explained, “A good friend of Lena’s, Arisia’s, a new friend of ours who’s out in the great room, and mine was trained in the art of boxing by Mr. Grant.”

Jesse smiled. She knew Ted and really liked the old boxer. “He was a good friend of my dad’s. Both of them were simple men who believed in using their gifts to protect the innocent and fight injustice wherever they’d found it. After my dad died, I swore on his grave I’d live up to the example he’d set for me. Now that I’ve gotten his company straightened out, I believed this was the right time to develop my powers. Lena, you’ve been my best friend ever since boarding school. I knew I could trust you to help me and that you’d keep my secret.”

The brunette smiled down at her then shot a glance at Kara. The other blonde simply smiled in that soft way of hers and said, “It’s okay, baby.  She’s like my friend, Barry Allen. And, after what she did at the airport, she’s proven she’s one of us.”

Lena pressed out the breath she’d been holding noisily and said, “Jesse, in answer to your question, the reason Supergirl and her friend brought you here is because this is where they live together and love each other.”

“What?”

Suddenly Jesse’s eyes opened wide when Kara unbuttoned her shirt to reveal the red ‘S’ in the middle of a shield on a field of blue while, at the same time, a ring became visible on the middle finger of Lena’s right hand that emitted a light that filled the entire room with emerald glory.

#

5:47 pm Local Time

Perino's earnest-appearing image had just returned on the screen after the commercial break. "And it's time now for our analyst group: Fox News senior political analyst Taylor Hume, Heather Pace who covers the White House for the Associated Press, syndicated columnist Bill Gill, and Fox News political analyst Geraldo Williams." She paused to take a breath then said, "Well, Heather, as soon as you heard President Marsdin was going to be speaking tonight, I'm sure you were busy working your sources at the White House. What do you expect her to say and is there a chance she'll announce a dramatic escalation in the war on terror?"

The plain-looking woman who couldn't hold a candle to the cute and petite Perino shook her head. "To your last question--no. There is no way our military will conduct offensive operations inside a NATO country against a small radical cell like the Fourth Reich. As for her speech, it will be an attempt by the president to acknowledge that for a lot of Americans the terror threat of metahumans is now a reality."

Perino now gazed directly into the camera. "We asked you for questions for the panel and we got this from Facebook from Renee Combs. She writes, 'Some people may be afraid to call the authorities to report suspicious looking aliens or metahumans due to the fear of being labeled a racist.' Taylor, how do you answer Renee when it comes to this issue of political correctness?"

#

"What?!" a nearly gob smacked Lena Luthor snapped as she watched the program. "Political correctness?! What in the hell was that Renee woman smoking when she wrote that message? And, hello! Aliens had nothing to do with this!"

"I know!" a chortling Arisia agreed. "These comedians are really funny!"

#

"Well," Taylor said, "it's a good question. In this politically correct culture 'if you see something, say something' doesn't work because we're so afraid we'll offend some ethnic group or someone of a different sexual orientation, not to mention aliens. It would be good for the president to say we won't be so exquisitely sensitive to every person's feelings to the point we discourage people from coming forward to report something troubling to them."

Perino now turned to the columnist. "Bill, your thoughts?"

"I can't believe I'm saying this but I think Marsdin's Alien Registration Act should be expanded to include metahumans, too. As you know I tend to side with those who want less government intrusion in our lives. However, considering the vast power that a lot of these metas possess, the authorities should keep tabs on them."

Brett glanced at Gill's usual foil. "What do you have to say about what Bill just said, Geraldo?"

"Frankly, I'm disturbed as hell. This coming from a man who’s so completely against any requirement for gun owners to register their firearms in a country where 30,000 people are killed by guns every year! Tell me, Bill, how many deaths were attributed to metas last year? I'll tell you—it’s a big, fat goose egg! Obviously, it's tragic those airport security officers were killed in such a horrific manner, but let's face facts. Dead is dead. It doesn't ultimately matter if you get ripped to pieces, eaten by a shark, or killed by a bullet. You're dead either way. So if we aren't willing to make people with firearms register them nationally, why should we require people with different genes than most folks to register with the government?"

The camera then cut back to the host and she smiled. "All right, panel. Thank you for the lively discussion and to our audience, I want to thank you for joining us tonight. This is Brett Perino, despite the horror of this morning, wishing you a pleasant evening.

#

5:58 Local Time

Arisia cackled gleefully as she bounced in Lena's comfy easy chair. "Wow! This television network is totally hysterical! I can't believe they managed to say all that crazy stuff with straight faces! I have to say those Faux News actors really make their network live up to its name."

On a nearby couch, Kara was seated in the middle of a Lena and Jesse sandwich. The two blondes were racing to the bottom of a giant bucket of potstickers that was placed on the coffee table in front of them while the brunette seemed to regard the television in utter disbelief.

Fortunately, Jesse had joined them in the kitchen then later in the great room after she'd recovered from her injuries. At that time, the New Yorker had met Lena's fellow Corpsman. Five minutes after that, Jesse and the alien had become fast friends, probably because they’d realized they were the two straight women in the group.

Now, after the program was over, a disturbed Lena advised, "Um...Arisia...it's not called 'Faux News.' It's 'Fox News.' Fox, like the red furred, four legged, woodlands creature of the wild."

"Wait a second! Are you telling me that wasn’t a fake news show and there are people who actually buy the propaganda those nutjobs are selling?"

"Yes," Lena admitted.

Arisia then doubled over with laughter while she struggled mightily to catch her breath. "That's the...funniest thing...I've ever heard...in my life!" she wheezed.

#

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this story. Critiques, reviews and comments are always appreciated!


	14. I Have a Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Dark Knight stumbles upon a macabre crime scene involving an unearthly predator and after an unexpected but welcome team-up persuades a fellow hero to become his partner in forming a team to protect the planet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! On Youtube, a video entitled "SuperCorp" by Ignis Lupus has a great poster of GL Lena and Supergirl superimposed over National City at 3:25 into the video. The image is remarkably close to how I imagine Lena in a GL costume would look. Take a look at the video if you have the chance!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D81sJh4LOac

Gotham City, New Jersey

2317 Local Time

It was obvious that the hole in the brick wall was caused by the blast of a freeze ray. Apparently, despite the unusual sweltering heatwave that had plagued the city during the past few days, Victor was up to his old tricks.

Despite the unbearable heat, Batman was as cool as a cucumber in his armor. His advanced environmental conditioning system maintained his comfort from the coldest climate to the hottest desert. Now, he straddled the broken masonry and entered the diamond market’s dark storeroom. He used his night vision to penetrate the Stygian blackness that seemed to close around him. Undaunted, he pressed forward until he spied Mr. Freeze standing as still as a department store mannequin in the middle of a grotesque kill zone.

The Dark Knight pressed his body close to a huge wooden shipping crate and peeked around its corner to see bodies of men on the concrete floor near the cryogenic villain. Some of them had their heads blown off. Others seemed to have had their skulls and spinal columns ripped from their corpses. There was an exception to the savage carnage, though. One man was suspended against a wall by a metallic net that had contracted against his skin to the point he’d most likely died from blood loss.

When he noticed the weapons strewn around the fallen men and recognized their uniforms were those Victor required his henchmen to wear, he realized that someone or some…thing had ambushed them. And considering the fact Victor was still there in the storeroom as immobile as a statue, the killer was most likely still inside the building with them.

Peering into the foreboding gloom, he flipped to his infrared setting and scanned the area. Moments later, he detected a massive life form perched on a catwalk overlooking the area that led out to the loading dock.

Batman reflected on his current predicament for several moments. Then, decision made, he switched back to his night vision, drew a special batarang from a pouch on his utility belt, unfolded it and flung it into a wall about twelve feet to Freeze’s left. He produced a microphone from the same pouch and softly spoke into it. “Victor…don’t say a word. Just nod or shake your head. There’s something in here with us. Did it kill your men?”

Mr. Freeze nodded.

“Did it attack you?”

The villain shook his head.

The Dark Knight frowned. _Why didn’t it go after Victor?_

Then the realization hit him right between the eyes. He switched back to infrared and noticed that Mr. Freeze was completely invisible to him in that mode. _It couldn’t see Victor because it can only see in the infrared spectrum,_ he reasoned.

Now he turned his environmental system to the full cold setting. Moments later he felt like he was naked amidst the Arctic wastes. He was uncomfortable as hell but better that than being dead.

Batman moved carefully from behind the crate, maintaining his line-of-sight on the heat source as it appeared to be keeping an alert watch of its own.

He was almost across the stretch of floor near the girders supporting the catwalk when a trio of red dots of light crept across the floor toward him.

His eyes widened in alarm. _Dammit,_ he thought. _The mask allows too much of my body heat to be seen!_ Reacting quickly, the Caped Crusader drew his Kevlar reinforced cape across the lower half of his face.

Seconds later, the movement of the dots halted. As the hero considered his next move, suddenly the storeroom’s gloom was overwhelmed by the glow of an all-encompassing green light.

“You on the catwalk! Don’t even think about firing your plasma caster unless you want me to take it and shove it where the star of your homeworld doesn’t shine!”

It was the Earth born Green Lantern! And she did not sound the least bit amused!

Now he heard a whiny, alien voice from above respond to the brunette ring-slinger. “Gween Lanturn?”

“No, it’s your fairy hunt mother,” she spat sarcastically while she floated in the air surrounded by her emerald energy field. “Yes, you idiot, it’s Green Lantern, one with half a mind to toss you into your pathetic little ship and smash it repeatedly into the surface of my planet’s natural satellite with you in it! Now deactivate your cloaking device and stand down before you really piss me off!”

The creature followed the woman’s command and leaped down from its perch onto the concrete floor.  Apparently when she glanced down at the alien, she spied the ravaged bodies of Freeze’s henchmen. “What the fuck?! Dammit, Junior! Abin Sur told your elders Earth was off limits after one of you idiots almost nuked Los Angeles simply because he was a sore loser! And now you've gone and pulled this crap! Well, I've had it up to here with you people!”

The seven foot tall brutish-looking thing dropped its head, apparently shamed by her tongue-lashing.

The Batman smirked then. He really had to admit…the woman was impressive as hell.

“Now go stand in the corner over there,” she indicated by thrusting her index finger toward it, “and don’t you move an inch from that spot until your elders come for you!” When the creature moved toward the corner like the demons from hell were nipping at its heels, she exhaled forcefully then gave him a look filled with both warmth and concern. “Batman, are you all right? Junior didn't harm you, did he?”

He nodded. “I’m fine, Lantern. Thank you for your assistance.” He saw no reason to be impolite or bring up the fact she hadn’t asked for his permission to operate in his city; until she’d arrived, he really had no idea what he’d been dealing with.

“And who is this man? Was he a survivor of Junior’s attack?”

“He’s Mr. Freeze. He and his men had intended to rob this place. Unfortunately, the alien murdered them.”

“Victor Fries!” she exclaimed before she used her ring to encase the villain in an energy bubble. “That should hold him until the police arrive. I just feel badly I didn’t know about this sooner. I’d just received word from that moron’s elders that Junior had violated Abin Sur’s edict.”

“You did your best, Lantern. In this business, we can’t save everyone. Do you know why he killed these men?”

She huffed.  “Yes. His people are a so-called advanced alien race that hunts the dominant species of other worlds for sport and to collect trophies. That’s why he took the skulls of some of these men.”

“So, essentially, this creature was on ‘safari.’”

“No, he was poaching and he’s going to pay dearly for what he’s done.”

He liked the sound of that. “Should we turn him over to the DEO then?”

She shook her head in response. “No. The Yautja are a proud people who are prone to acts of wanton violence like the total annihilation of all species on the face of a planet that really crosses them. Before that could happen, though, a few hundred Corpsmen and I would slice their pretty starships in half and imprison the lot of them on their homeworld for a century or so to make certain they’d learned their lesson. To avoid all of that unpleasantness, it’s better to let them handle Junior’s punishment because, frankly, they’re a lot more brutal about these things than we’d ever be.”

“Perhaps so. However, what justice will these men,” he indicated the deceased all around them, “receive?”

“Let’s establish a trust for their immediate family members funded by the Yautja. I know it’s not much but it’s the best we can do under the circumstances.”

He simply stared at her, grunted and said nothing more.

#

After Junior and his scout ship had been retrieved by his elders from the rooftop of the diamond market building in a stealth frigate and the police had taken Mr. Freeze into custody, she used her ring to transport the five hundred pounds of platinum the Yautja had given them into the trunk of his Batmobile.

As they stood beside his vehicle, Lena said, “I’m certain you’ll be able to establish that trust on behalf of those poor men but if you need my assistance, don’t hesitate to contact me through Supergirl.”

“I’ll handle it,” he said. “However, if you have the time, I’d like to discuss a few other matters with you.”

“I’ll make the time for you, Batman.”

“Good. Let’s go someplace more…private.  I’ll drive.”

“Where are we going?”

“The Batcave.”

She grinned. “Really?”

He simply regarded her with his Bat-Glare.™

She smirked. “Of course, you’ll want me to wear a blindfold until we get there.”

“No.”

“Really?” She couldn’t help the bit of disappointment that sounded in her voice. She’d kind of thought he’d be all cloak-and-dagger about his shit.

“Considering the capabilities of your ring, it would be pointless to blindfold you. Besides, you wouldn’t possess that ring in the first place if your integrity wasn’t beyond reproach.”

“Hard to argue with that,” she said with a shrug.  “All right then.  Let’s go.”

#

When he parked the Batmobile on top of a turntable inside a massive cavern, she struggled not to geek out and bounce in her seat. _Wow! I’m in the coolest car in the whole world with a guy most people on the planet still believe is merely a scary urban legend and we’re parked in the most awesome superhero lair in existence!_

It was safe to say Lena was impressed.

Before she got out of the car, he turned to her. “May I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Why was the creature so deferential to you? Do they hold Corpsmen in high esteem?”

She shook her head.  “No, that’s not it. Actually, Yautja females rule their society and are much larger than the males and are far more deadly in combat. The males serve as their consorts and compete to mate with the females by impressing them with the trophies they bring back with them from the hunt. If a female isn’t impressed by the trophy presented to her by a male, she has the right to take _his_ head.” Then she shrugged. “Since he knew I outgunned him and am a female, his instinct made him defer to me.”

“I see. Thank you for the explanation.”

“You’re quite welcome.”

They got out of his car and he guided her over to a linen covered table near the massive computer banks. There were two chairs, one on either side of the table. On top of the linen was an ornate silver coffee and tea setting along with a water pitcher and glasses. Next to the setting was a plate filled with cookies and tea biscuits.

As she wondered when he’d been able to tell someone to prepare all of this, she came to the chair closest to her and while she attempted to sit, he gallantly pulled the chair out for her and pushed her chair gently toward the table once she was seated. She murmured her appreciation to him and he nodded to her as he seated himself across from her.

“Would you care for some refreshments, Ms. Luthor?”

She smiled, maintaining her cool facade while she pushed her discomfort deep down inside. “I'll take my coffee creamy, hot, and sweet like my woman, Mr. Wayne. And, please, call me Lena.”

He smirked. “So, Lex didn’t just keep tabs on Clark, I see.”

It pleased her that he both respected her intelligence and hadn’t tried to deny it. “He’d monitored your activities but he’d drawn the wrong conclusion. Although he’d believed you are the financial backer of the Batman, he didn’t think you were the man inside the suit. Lex thought the Batman is Matches Malone, one of your undercover identities, I do believe.”

He gave her a thin smile before he reached up and drew back the cowl on his head. In response, she willed her ring to remove her domino mask.

After he poured some coffee for the both of them, he asked, “What led him to make a mistake like that?”

She shrugged. “Lex’s penultimate failing is his ego. He could see someone raised on a farm as Superman because of his simple, salt-of-the-earth upbringing. But he could never imagine a man born to wealth like himself would ever stoop so low as to battle punks and thugs with his own two fists. Lex would hire someone like Deathstroke to do his dirty work for him.”

Bruce Wayne nodded. “You, though, recognized the truth for what it is.”

She laughed lightly. “Mr. Wayne, no one has ever said I lacked vision.”

“Please…Bruce. I insist.”

“Very well. Bruce it is then. By the way, Bruce, how did you uncover my secret identity?”

He took a sip of his coffee before he responded. “I could only deduce it due to the fact you are aware of Supergirl’s secret identity.”

She smirked. “I wouldn’t put much stock in that, personally. I’m fairly certain most of the fast food places in National City are aware that only an alien superhero could devour all the food Kara Danvers orders on a continual basis.”

He chuckled. “You may have a point there. Anyway there aren’t many women who are your height, with your, shall we say, elegant figure, your intelligence, your brunette hair, who speaks with a slight Irish lilt, most likely obtained when you attended a boarding school in that nation for several years, who also interacts with Kara Danvers on a constant basis to the point she would vocally and emphatically defend you even in the face of public condemnation.”

“I see.” She really couldn’t poke any holes in his deductive reasoning. _I suppose that’s why he’s the World’s Greatest Detective,_ she mused. “So, why did you choose to tell me that you knew my secret identity at this moment in time?”

He took another sip then said, “I need both your help and your trust for a project that I believe will benefit our entire planet. Also, I admire your courage and the fervor you have for your mission to protect this world and your sector of space. Even so, you can’t accomplish all that you want by going it alone. You need help and I believe I can provide it to you.”

She certainly didn’t expect to be told any of that when she’d come to the Batcave. “I’m listening.”

“Are you aware of an alien race known as the Dominators?”

“Yes, I learned about them from Arisia. They often invade worlds in search of genetic material for their own purposes.”

“Did Kara tell you about her away mission to a parallel Earth where her friend, Barry Allen, the hero who’s called the Flash, resides?”

She shook her head.

“While she was there, she worked with a team of heroes to drive the Dominators from their planet. Now considering the fact many aliens show up on our Earth as refugees, I’m certain the Dominators and other aggressive species in our galaxy are well aware of us now. Also, we have other challenges, such as teams of metahumans that seek to impose their will over the people of this planet. Your friend, Jesse Chambers, had an altercation with one of the dangerous members of one of those groups. Believe me when I tell you the other members of the Fourth Reich are perhaps even more powerful and deadlier than Blitzkrieg is.”

“So…what do you want to do about these threats? Build a team of our own?”

“Actually, I’d consider it more like a…league. Our members would still be responsible for their individual cities, yet, if faced with a national or global threat, we’d come together in an organized fashion to deal with the crisis.”

She carefully considered his proposal for several moments before she admitted, “I think it’s a great idea, Bruce. How can I help?”

“If you join, Kara will join. I’ll make the proposal to J’onn and with your backing, I believe he’ll agree to join, too. Once Kara is on board, she and I should be able to approach Clark and have him join us. With both you and Kara as members of the league, I think I can reach out to a certain Amazon princess who would be happy to fight alongside two brave and powerful women such as yourselves. Then, once your friend, Chambers, works with an expert who can help her master her speed, I’d like to have her join us, as well.”

“How would we go about helping Jesse?”

“There’s a physicist who owns Mercury Laboratories in Central City.”

“Yes, I know her. Tina McGee, expert in tachyon particles and quantum mechanics. She’s brilliant.”

“True. But she’s had a bit of bad luck recently.”

She nodded. “Her building was destroyed by a freak earthquake and her former CFO had screwed up by not buying the right insurance policy to protect against that. Without enough funding, she’ll probably have to go out of business.”

“Well…what would happen if two powerful multinational companies pooled their resources to offer a friendly acquisition package to Dr. McGee that allows her to remain as the CEO of her think tank? In return, she’d make herself available to work with Ms. Chambers on a special project where the good doctor would report directly to the CEOs of those two corporations.”

She grinned.  “I like the way you think, Bruce.”

“Thank you. If you liked that idea, I hope you’ll love this one. Lena, if I tried to run Wayne Enterprises by myself, I couldn’t do all I need to do as Batman. Fortunately, I found the perfect man for the job as my Chief Operating Officer. Having him allows me to establish the company’s strategy while he executes it and runs the company’s day-to-day affairs.”

“I see where you’re going with this. I suppose I’ve pretty much tried to run L Corp. as a one woman show. But that was before the ring chose me.”

“Lena, you are the heart and soul of L Corp. But you’re also one of the protectors of the universe. You need a partner who can mind the store for you at L Corp. after you set the course for the ship and you deal with interstellar threats. The man who’s my right hand is Lucius Fox. Lucius has a daughter who’s as exceptional as her father.  Her name is Tamara and she’s currently a Senior Vice President and Executive Director of Wayne Industrial Laboratories.  The woman has a great head for business, is loyal as the day is long, and her integrity is beyond reproach. I’d be very happy if you carefully considered bringing her on as your COO.”

“Do you think highly enough of her to trust her with the knowledge about your crime-fighting identity?”

“If she were my COO, I would. I’ve entrusted that knowledge to her father already.”

Her right eyebrow quirked upward at that. If the Dark Knight thought that much of the woman, it wouldn’t hurt to consider the possibility. “Would you mind sending me Mr. Fox’s job description and would I have your permission to interview her if I decide to go in that direction?”

“I’ll send you the job description first thing in the morning and you have my permission to contact her. I suggest you develop the job description or use the one I have for Lucius and give it to an executive headhunter firm to avoid raising any uncomfortable questions.”

“That sounds good but I have to ask…why?”

“Why…what?”

“Why are you so willing to accommodate a…Luthor?”

The expression on his face softened then. “Lena…I saw all I needed to know during our first mission together in National City. You have the heart of a hero and you put others before yourself. You want to make the world a better place. That’s something you and I have in common. I want a world where a child never experiences the awful pain of having his parents taken from him or her by senseless acts of violence. I might not live to see that world come to pass but I have to believe all that I do serves as a bridge to that wondrous place.”

She blinked rapidly to hold her tears at bay. She would never have believed that the man who criminals so greatly feared was the most…humane person she’d ever known. “Tell me more about this ‘league’ of ours, Bruce.”

“We should let Clark, Kara and Diana be the bright, shiny faces of the League. I think it would be best if you and I were kept in the background from a public relations standpoint because your jurisdiction is more interstellar in nature while I work better from the shadows. Of course, I’ll help fund it.”

“I can help with that, too.”

“Thank you, Lena.”

She demurred. “Don’t mention it.  You know, Bruce, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

“Who’s Rick and who’s Louis in this scenario?” he observed.

She simply grinned, happy to know he was civilized enough to recognize one of the great endings in cinema history.

Now she was content to listen to him as she continued to drink her coffee. “As for others, I have a woman in mind who’s both a great detective and a fantastic martial arts expert. She’d be a solid addition to the team. Besides, she’s a great instructor who’d improve all of our members’ hand-to-hand combat skills. Finally, there’s a young man who possesses a unique power set. He uses nuclear energy to actually transform the molecular structure of inanimate objects to any form he chooses. The only problem I’m aware of with him is that he talks to himself…a lot,” Bruce grumbled.

#

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Beginning of Rant*
> 
> Although Episode 2x19 was great from a Sanvers standpoint, I was sorely disappointed in what they did with Kara's character. They made her into an arrogant douche like Mon-El, particularly in how she interfered in the bank robbing incident and basically supported Mon-El's douchey statement "Who needs the police?" that the idiot said at dinner in front of Maggie, a freaking cop! Then her total disregard of Maggie's advice about the perp who'd taken her sister being too cool when they supposedly thought they had Alex's actual location was completely out of line. It really frosted me when J'onn had the nerve to take Kara's side after Maggie had legitimately pointed out Kara's arrogance and Kara's continued arrogance at the end when she told Maggie "I think we made a great team." No, Kara. No, you didn't! You screwed up, made things much worse with your thoughtless leaping before you look, and nearly got your sister killed! And worse, she doesn't appear to have learned anything from this incident.
> 
> Additionally, having Lena bare her soul to a total stranger and having her do this rambling statement about her mom to Rhea filled with a continual string of "you knows", was completely out of character for Lena. And after discovering that Rhea had lied to her, to basically allow her to come back into the building just strained my suspension of disbelief past the breaking point.
> 
> *End of Rant*
> 
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> Thank you for reading this story. Critiques, reviews and comments are always appreciated!


	15. "It's Like Manna Raining Down from Heaven!"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another Green Lantern is ready to hunt down a dangerous felon while Lena tries to provide support for Jesse Chambers.

Steaming Load Tavern

Uxor VII, Shard Galaxy

Amon Sur turned away from the pleasurable attention he’d been receiving from the trollop who wanted to be his new bedmate when everyone in the seedy bar filled with various scum of the universe fell silent.

Amon had been holding court as the newly crowned leader of the intergalactic Black Circle Crime Syndicate when the tall and muscular, mustachioed red-skinned Green Lantern from Korugar approached his table. Even in a room where the man was surrounded by homicidal maniacs, he appeared to be absolutely fearless.   

Sur gritted his teeth in frustration. Oh, how he hated the Corps, particularly this one! Even though his skin color was the same as his own, the man was from an entirely alien world. Even so, his father had preferred spending time in this man’s company rather than that of his own family or his only son.

Now he gave a death’s head grin to the one some called ‘The Greatest Green Lantern of Them All.’ “I’d welcome you, Sinestro but I’m not that polite. State your reason for taking the time out of my ‘busy’ day then take your leave.”

The Lantern stared down his prominent nose at him. “I’m not here for you, Amon. I have come because of my long-time friendship with your father. I came to tell you that your father is dead, Amon.”

He blinked several times while his brain tried to process what Sinestro had said. “No…no, he can’t be…dead.”

“I’m sorry, Amon, but it’s terribly true. He died in the line of duty. For some reason he was using a spaceship rather than his ring to transport a felon from Sector 666. The ship’s last position was in orbit above the planet Earth in the Milky Way galaxy. We believe the prisoner somehow broke free of your father’s energy construct and mortally injured him. Once the ship struck atmosphere, the felon bailed out while your father’s ship crashed on the surface of the planet.”

“He was killed in the crash?”

Sinestro shook his head. “No. He survived long enough for his ring to choose his successor, an Earth female who, according to the Guardians, shows great promise. Soon, I shall meet this woman and together we’ll find the felon who killed your father. May the gods have mercy on that scum’s soul, for I assure you, I shall not.”

Amon simply nodded, unable to speak for a moment. Of course, he’d hated the Corps for years for taking his father away from him to pursue their cosmic quests for justice. But he’d never hated his old man at any time even though he’d hurt Abin greatly when he’d decided to turn his back on everything his father had stood for. Still, he’d always thought, in the back of his mind, that they could have reached some sort of accommodation in time.

Now there was no more time for that. His father was lost to him forever.

He then stared into Sinestro’s eyes. “My father and I rarely saw anything eye-to-eye. However, I never wished any harm to come to him. Green Lantern…find that scum and bring him to face justice.”

The other man’s expression softened a little then. “Even a Manhunter would not be as dogged in its pursuit of this felon, Amon Sur. You can count on that.”

“Because it’s your duty as a Corpsman?”

The Lantern gave him a long stare for a moment that chilled Sur and his entourage. “No…because your father is, and always shall be, my friend.”

With that, the Green Lantern from Korugar turned away and strode proudly through a sea of low-lifes who parted to allow his passage toward the front door.

After Sinestro had left the establishment, he sat there surprised at the lump in his throat at the thought that his father would never see him father a child of his own one day.

#

Central City

Local Time 11:30 am

She heard the entrance door buzzer a moment before Dr. Caitlin Snow exclaimed, “Dr. McGee! Lena Luthor’s at our front door!”

Dr. Tina McGee glanced up from some documents her attorney had sent her and studied the image on the lab’s security monitor. “I believe you’re right, Caitlin. However, I don’t recognize the young woman who is accompanying Ms. Luthor.” Then she activated the intercom and spoke to their visitors. “Ms. Luthor, this is Tina McGee. When you hear the buzzer, please pull on the door handle. Then step inside and you'll be in our reception area. I apologize in advance that it isn't up to our usual standards. You see, we are using this facility temporarily until we find a permanent one."

"That's quite all right, Dr. McGee. We can't wait to meet you in person."

"Very well then. I will meet you there shortly.”

After the two women had entered the building, she placed aside the documents that would sell her patents to United Technologies for half of what they were worth. Although it pained her to resort to selling off her life’s work, she had to do it to compensate her employees for their loyalty and dedication to the company when they'd stayed by her side after the freak earthquake had destroyed their under-insured facility. Thanks to their now former CFO who she had to dismiss for failing to do his fiduciary duty on behalf of the company, she was scrambling to find the funds to keep the enterprise going.

Now she turned to her young colleague and said, “Well, come along, Caitlin. Let’s give our mysterious guests a proper Mercury Laboratories' welcome, shall we?”

Her brilliant, lovely, yet adorably shy employee smiled. “Of course, Dr. McGee.”

Tina sighed as they strode out of the secure experimental portion of the building into the public areas. She’d given up long ago trying to get the twenty-nine year old neurosurgeon to call her by her Christian name. Shaking her head, she mused inwardly, _perhaps she really thinks I’m an old woman and she’s just being proper and kind!_

Moments later, they entered the reception area and Ms. Luthor smiled brightly at them. “Dr. McGee, Lena Luthor,” the woman declared and thrust her hand forward in greeting.

Tina shook the other woman’s hand. “I’m very pleased to meet you, Ms. Luthor.”

“Lena, please,” the attractive and young CEO of L Corp. announced. Then she turned toward her companion and added, “I’d like to introduce my good friend and business partner, Jesse Chambers.”

Tina released Lena’s hand and shook the blonde’s outstretched one in greeting. The woman appeared to have at least two to three inches in height on Lena, Caitlin and Tina. “It’s very nice to meet you, as well, Ms. Chambers.”

“Jesse, Dr. McGee. Lena and I aren’t very formal women, if that’s fine with you.”

“Of course, not a problem,” she answered. “In that case, please call me Tina,” she insisted, barely able to contain her smirk for Caitlin’s benefit. _At least these ladies don’t think of me as being one step away from placement in a nursing home!_ Then she said, “Let me introduce you both to a dear colleague of mine, Dr. Caitlin Snow.”

Lena gave the young woman a million dollar smile that appeared to do the job of putting Caitlin at ease. “Dr. Snow, I’m very happy to meet you. It’s not often I have the chance to meet a Mayo Clinic-trained neurosurgeon.”

Caitlin shook both of their visitors’ hands. “Well, it’s not often I have the opportunity to meet an MIT educated scientist and engineer. And, please, call me Caitlin since it appears we’re all on a first name basis around here, isn't that so, Tina?”

The physicist almost jumped for joy. _Finally!_ her mind enthused. However, she didn’t act on that impulse because it would go against her proper English upper class upbringing. “Well, Caitlin, thank you for greeting our guests with me. However, don’t you have to return to that experiment you were monitoring?”

The girl took the hint beautifully. “Thank you for reminding me about that, Tina. Ladies, please excuse me. It was a pleasure meeting you both.”

Once Caitlin had taken her leave, McGee led her visitors to her makeshift office. The space was much smaller than her old office that was now in a building condemned by the city.

After the ladies had seated themselves on her small couch while she sat nearby in an arm chair, she said, “I must admit I was quite surprised you wanted to meet with me to discuss a business proposal, Lena. I know your company has its own research facilities. What could we possibly do for you that your people can’t?”

“Actually, Tina, the business proposal doesn’t involve L. Corp. Jesse and I are two of the managing members of a Delaware registered LLC called LBJ Kinetics. It’s a highly capitalized company created to handle special projects that would be considered, shall we say, quite…esoteric. We and the other managing members believe the LLC needs an independent research facility and think tank led by someone with your unique skill set.”

“I see,” Tina said, though in fact, she had absolutely no clue what the Luthor woman was going on about. “And how would my company, which, to be truthful, has recently fallen on hard times, become affiliated with this LLC of yours?”

“Excuse me a moment, Tina,” Lena said then turned to shoot a glance at Jesse.

The blonde woman smiled and nodded. “Let’s do it.”

Lena now returned her full attention to Tina and gave her a shrewd look that caused the hairs to stand up on the back of the physicist’s neck. “All right then! Here’s our proposal. Mercury Laboratories would become a wholly owned subsidiary of LBJ Kinetics. Your company would continue to operate independently, though our financial people will make certain your operations are properly insured at all times. You’d become a managing member of the LLC and you don’t need to relocate your company. It you wish to stay in Central City, we’re fine with that. We’ll find, purchase and retrofit an existing building to your specifications at our cost. You would remain as the CEO of Mercury and have complete autonomy over all phases of your operations. We will double your current salary and increase your bonus based on performance by another fifteen percent. The LLC will provide you with a company car, a corporate jet, and bridge funding to pay off all of your corporate debt and to ensure your employees have received their agreed upon compensation. The only requirement we’d have for you is that, you, personally, must work on one special project on an ongoing basis two days a week, preferably Thursday and Friday. You and the project’s subject can decide at a later date whether the work can be accomplished here in Central City or in New York City. Any travel or accommodations regarding the project shall be covered by the LLC. Of course, all of this will be spelled out in a contract for your counsel and you to review before you decide to sign on the dotted line.”

After the younger woman had completed her pitch, Tina surreptitiously pinched the flesh of her thigh through her pants leg to ensure herself she wasn’t dreaming. Once she determined for a fact that she was wide awake, she grew suspicious. No one would offer a deal like this unless a) they wanted her to involve herself in something that was incredibly illegal or b) they were the Devil in disguise here to take her very soul. “Lena, I must say your offer seems both generous and too good to be true.”

Lena seemed to nod thoughtfully at her observation. “I see what you mean. It does sound that way, doesn’t it?” Then she gave her a somewhat mysterious smile that concerned McGee somewhat. “Are you worried about getting in bed, figuratively, of course, with a Luthor?”

She shook her head. “That’s not it. I’ve heard about all the wonderful things you’ve done to rehabilitate your family’s company. You've even helped stop your mother’s plan of genocide against the extra-terrestrial refugees living in National City. I just hate to commit to something without at least seeing a hint of what I’m getting into.”

“Well,” Jesse said, “if you’d like to obtain a little insight into the project, all you need to do is sign this non-disclosure agreement that I happen to have right here,” she said drawing a document from her leather portfolio. “Once you sign it, we’ll let you see what you’d be dealing with, right here, right now.”

“May I see the document, please?”

The blonde handed it to her. She flipped through its few pages, scanning it. It appeared to be similar to the plethora of NDAs she’d seen in the past. So, she drew a pen from the front pocket of her white lab coat and signed it.

When she gave it back to the blonde, Jesse asked, “I’m kind of hungry. Tina, do you like ice cream?”

She shrugged, a bit thrown by the seemingly off-beat question. “Of course.”

Suddenly, a gust of wind appeared out of nowhere, causing a few loose papers on her desk to fly into the air a few inches above its surface.

One moment, Jesse Chambers had been standing right in front of her with the document in her hands and a smile on her face. The next, the woman, Lena, and she were holding ice cream cones with a scoop of the vanilla delicacy in their right hands.

McGee now stared at the confection in her hand in disbelief. Then her scientific mind took over and she developed a theory to explain what had just occurred. She turned her gaze to the tall blonde woman and asked, “You just tapped into the speed force, didn’t you?”

“Yep.”

She nodded thoughtfully. “You’re the ‘special project,’ aren’t you?”

Jesse simply grinned back at her then took a big lick of her ice cream cone.

Tina then locked her gaze onto Lena Luthor’s glorious green eyes. “Lena, I accept your gracious offer. Ladies,” she announced to both of her visitors, “I am humbly at your service.”

#

While Tina and Jesse continued the process of getting to know each other, Lena’s phone chimed, indicating she’d received a text message. After she excused herself from the conversation, she drew her phone from her purse and studied the screen.

_Kara: Baby, something wonderful has happened! We’ve recovered Alex’s dad, my foster father, from your mother._

Lena typed her response.

_Lena: Darling, that IS wonderful news!_

Kara responded almost immediately.

_Kara: We’ve told Eliza we’ve got him back and she’s so excited! He’s as nice as I remembered from when he was still with us when I was a child. I want you to meet him so badly! I want him to meet the person who I love the most in this whole world!_

Lena smiled and texted the following.

_Lena: We’re wrapping up with Dr. McGee now. She’s going to work with Jesse and she agreed to have her company become a subsidiary of our LLC._

Almost before she’d finished sending her text, Lena received Kara’s response. She smiled and thought it must be nice to have super speed.

_Kara: That’s great news, baby! Are you coming home soon?_

_Lena: We’ll be in the air in 45 minutes._

_Kara: Great! I’ll see you both when you get here.  I love you, Lena._

_Lena: I love you, too, Bae!_

_Kara:… ;p Ms. Luthor…I’m going to have to ask you to step away from the Urban Dictionary, ma’am…that term of endearment sounds SO wrong coming from you…bae. };-)_

_Lena: XD_

_Kara: Funny girl.  Just hurry home. <3_

_Lena: Yes, dear. <3_

#

    

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this story. Critiques, reviews and comments are always appreciated!


	16. Manhunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena and Sinestro go after an alien who is on a mission to kill a man.

He’d felt no remorse whatsoever for the lives of the armed men that he’d taken. After he’d stripped the flesh from their bones, he carefully placed their skulls on top the pile of skeletons in the bonfire. Soon, he poured their preserved blood over the blackening skulls and recited the incantation that would reveal the identity of the one who was destined to destroy all life in the universe unless he could stop him in time. If the incantation worked, it would guide him to the human and would be worth his betrayal of Abin Sur. Hopefully, the Lantern had survived the mortal wounds he’d inflicted on the Corpsman.

When he poured the humans’ blood over the skulls, he chanted, “With blood and rage of crimson red, ripped from a corpse so freshly dead. Together with our hellish hate, we’ll burn you all—that is your fate!”

Moments later, the drops of blood scurried across a dead man’s skull and two words appeared.

William Hand.

Then the spell showed him the location of the place where he could obtain the parts he needed to build a cosmic rod that he could use to protect himself from Abin Sur’s colleagues and end the life of the human who was a threat to the entire universe.

#

Both Lena Luthor and Jesse Chambers gasped when a red-skinned male Corpsman who was somewhat handsome in a Continental way phased through the hull of L-Corp’s Cessna Citation X which was traveling near the speed of sound.  “Green Lantern of Sector 2814,” he announced in a haughty tone of voice, “I am Sinestro, the Green Lantern of Sector 1417. I have need of you.”

She was apoplectic for a brief moment before she snapped at him. “My identity is supposed to be kept secret from most humans, Sinestro!”

He smirked at her. “I am aware of that fact, human. Before I entered your primitive craft, I scanned the minds of everyone on board. With the exception of Chambers and you, they all believe that you are alone with your companion and will maintain that illusion even when your craft lands at its final destination.”

“I see.  Thank you for that.  Why are you here?”

He frowned. “I need to see if Abin Sur left a recording on his ring for me—” Then his voice trailed off when her ring projected a holographic image of its prior bearer almost the size of the one R2-D2 projected of Princess Leia in _Star Wars_ ’ Episode IV.

 _“Greetings, Sinestro, my old friend,”_ the image said.  _“If you are seeing this image of me, I must have died during my secret mission to bring Atroticus to Earth to find the human who is destined to destroy all life in the universe unless we can stop him. To insure the safety of the universe, my successor and you must find them both and keep the Blackest Night prophecy from coming to pass. May the fortune of your gods be with you.  For the Corps!”_ the image declared before it faded from view.

No one said anything for several moments until Jesse broke the silence.  “Okay, I’ll bite.  What in the hell is the Blackest Night?”

He snorted derisively. “Nothing of import, really. It’s silly superstition; a child’s scary bed-time story.  There’s no basis in fact for it. My friend Abin was a very religious man despite being an excellent Lantern and his belief in this myth allowed Atroticus to take advantage of my friend to allow the felon to escape. However, I fear Atroticus is as taken by the myth as Abin. If we do not stop him, he will kill one of your citizens.”

She nodded. “All right then. It looks like we need to track this felon down,” Lena announced. She then willed her ring to overlay her uniform over her blouse and slacks ensemble. “Jesse, tell Kara I’ll be home as soon as I can. I’ll meet her at her apartment after we’ve apprehended this Atroticus creature.”

“Will do, Lena.”

Now the Green Lantern of Sector 2814 shot a grateful smile at her old friend before she turned toward her fellow Corpsman with a serious bad-ass expression on her lovely face.  “Let’s go,” she directed.

With that, both Corpsmen phased through the inner hull of the Citation X and streaked off into the wild blue yonder.

#

The Hand Family Mortuary

1905 Local Time

“William! Stop what you’re doing right this instant!”

The young man, somewhat ruggedly handsome even with the dour expression on his face that was normal for him, glanced up from the drawer that contained the body of a pretty young woman with glorious hair. She was stored in the container prior to the final preparation for her burial in the morning. Now he furtively met his mother’s accusing glare and asked, “What’s wrong, Mother?”

She angrily whipped a plastic baggie from behind her back and confronted him with its contents. “I found this in the back of your desk drawer. These are clips of Selma Stevens’ hair, aren’t they? They’re from the girl we buried yesterday!”

William Hand simply stood silent, struggling not to allow the guilt to show on his face.

“You were going to take Samantha Williams’ hair, too, weren’t you?” she accused while she stared at the shears he held in his right hand.

“Mother…i-it’s not what you think—”

“Stop it!” she shrieked. “Don’t even try to lie to me, William! Son…you can’t go on like this,” she pleaded.  “You need help dealing with this…perversion you have. William, if you don’t agree to get proper treatment for your…sickness, I’m afraid I’ll have no choice but to fire you.”

His eyes shot wide open at her threat.  He couldn’t be kept away from all the pretty women who never shied away from his touch or his attentions as they waited to be laid to rest. Keeping him from them would only add to the torment he felt when he had to deal with the living than the quiet, undemanding dead.

Before he could say anything to his mother, though, a huge, red…thing smashed through the plate glass window. It appeared to be some sort of armored creature with a red carapace that made him think of a giant four-legged ant with a mouth full of needle-sharp teeth in place of the insect’s mandibles.

“My cosmic rod has led me to you, human! You are the bringer of death and I must end your existence.  Your time has come,” it declared before it swatted his stunned mother aside as if she were nothing.

Frightened out of his mind, Hand fled toward the double door exit with the creature in hot pursuit. He raced from the building across the sidewalk and ran as fast as his legs could carry him over the slick grass that had just been watered by the automatic sprinkler system. Unfortunately, he slipped on a muddy patch and lost his footing at that moment. He tumbled to the ground and grunted when his chin struck the dirt. Seeing stars, he pushed himself to rise but he was unable to make his legs obey his commands. William flopped onto his back and screamed when the sharp claws of the creature swept down toward his face.

While he waited for the pain to lance through his body, he was surprised when the claws failed to connect. A pair of figures garbed in emerald and ebony uniforms had engaged the creature with green energy constructs that appeared to be emitted from rings on their right hands. One of his saviors appeared to be a red-skinned, thin yet athletically built man while the other…the other…

She was a vision. Her dark hair and crimson lips contrasted magnificently with the cold pallor of the flawless skin of her face. It was as if she was an animated corpse, coolly beautiful in a way that ignited the fire in his loins. “So lovely…” he murmured lowly.

“Lanterns!” the creature declared. “Do not stop me! I must destroy this human to save the universe!”

“Not today, you won’t, Atroticus!” Sinestro vowed.

“Sir!” the woman snapped at him.  “Get out of here.  We’ll stop him!”

In response, he struggled to regain his footing. Then the creature thrust a device toward the people it had called ‘Lanterns’ and activated it.

“He’s got a cosmic rod!” the red man declared.

“It’s drawing the power from our rings!” the woman shouted.

The constructs that had appeared to be massive chains faded away and the alien was unencumbered. At that point, Hand expected his saviors’ to retreat from the fierce creature. Instead, they launched a physical attack against it. The red man leaped forward and kicked the creature’s hand, sending the device flying. Meanwhile, the woman ducked and rolled before she used both of her legs to entangle the creature’s legs causing it to trip and fall to the ground.

Growling now, the thing tossed the man, who was now dressed in different clothing aside, while it lashed out with a kick that caused the woman, who was now wearing a blouse and slacks, to cry out.

Then it turned from its former opponents and glared at him. “Now, Hand…you die!”

As it stalked forward to end his life, he was so frightened he almost didn’t hear the chanting of two voices.

However, he did not fail to see the flash of emerald glory.

Now the red-skinned man was back in the ebony and emerald uniform and his body was encased inside a giant humanoid energy form that struck down the creature, hard. At the same time, an emerald hand emitted by the woman’s ring gently grasped William and tenderly placed him outside of the immediate zone of conflict.

As he watched from a relatively safe distance, the creature somehow righted himself and smashed the red man’s energy construct with a yellow back hoe.  It was at that moment that a voice in his mind told him to look down. When he did so, he found the creature’s weapon at his feet.  He picked it up and raced away from the conflict while the woman used her ring to fire a powerful beam of energy that obliterated the back hoe, showering the creature with jagged pieces of shrapnel.

#

When Atroticus was down and out for the count, she offered a helping hand to Sinestro. “Are you all right?”

He ignored her question and stated, ‘Your ring…the yellow impurity had no effect upon it.”

She shrugged as she helped him to his feet.  “Yes. I’ve never had any problems using my ring on yellow things.”

“Intriguing,” he noted.

“So…what are we going to do with Sleeping Beauty here?”

Sinestro formed an elaborate mechanical construct around the fallen felon that restrained him completely.  “I shall transport him to Oa for the Guardians’ judgment.”

“I see.  Do you want me to come with you?”

He shook his head.  “No, my dear. I’ll be fine.  Atroticus can say nothing that would make me lose faith in my ability to restrain him.”

“Say,” she asked after she glanced around the site. “Did you see what happened to his cosmic rod?”

He shook his head.  “I did not. Perhaps the young man ran off with it.”

“Is it dangerous?”

“Only to ring-bearers.”

“All right.  I’ll track it down later. Meanwhile, my ring is telling me that I need to help rescue a South Korean ferry that’s just capsized.”

“Very well then, Lantern of Sector 2814.  Thank you for your assistance in apprehending the felon who killed Abin Sur.”

“I’m happy that my predecessor’s attacker will face justice, Sinestro.”

“And I am happy that my friend’s successor shows such great promise, Lena Luthor.  Fare well,” he said then launched both his prisoner and himself into the night sky.

As she watched them go, she winced when her side flared from the pain caused by Atroticus’ blow. Pushing it aside, she formed an aerodynamic shield around her body and rocketed toward the Pacific Ocean.

#

Kara Danver’s Apartment

2207 Local Time

“Lena…you’re hurt!”

The concern was plain on Kara’s face when she saw her girlfriend entering her apartment from the balcony walking gingerly while being supported on her left side by Arisia.

“Yes,” the blonde Lantern said, “our girl had a rough day, Kara. She and another Corpsman tracked down a suspect who may have killed Lena’s predecessor, Abin Sur. When they were tracking this psycho down, they stumbled across a score of dead bodies, some had been used in a sick sacrifice involving bones and blood.”

“Oh my God,” Kara gasped.

“Somehow, the felon found some way to build a device that drained the power from their rings, forcing the Lanterns to fight for a time using their grit and their wits.”

“Are you telling me Lena was powerless?!”

Arisia smirked at her.  “A Green Lantern is never powerless, Kara. They were able to recall one of their batteries from the fractal inside their rings and recharge. They managed to save the human who the felon had targeted and capture the felon. After that, Sinestro returned to Oa with the felon while Lena joined me to deal with a ferry boat from one of your Asian nations that had capsized in deep water. Unfortunately, some of the crew on the ship were cowards and fled without trying to rescue some young people who were trapped below deck. By the time we had found out about their plight, we were both exhausted from trying to right the ship. Adding to that, Lena was still very sore from fighting the felon with Sinestro. Despite that fact, she pushed herself to tear through the hull and find the missing passengers.  Unfortunately, by the time we’d reached their flooded compartment, they’d all drowned.”

“Dear Rao, no!” Kara whispered.  “How many?”

“Thirty-eight,” Arisia reported gravely.

“They were just kids,” a still-shaken Lena whispered.  “They had their whole lives ahead of them but I’d let them down.  I was too slow. I was too late to save anyone today, Kara,” she sorrowfully admitted, unable to meet Kara’s gaze.

“Baby, no…” Kara cooed.  “That’s not true. You saved that young man from the felon. You saved a lot of other people at the shipwreck.  I know it’s hard to accept; I still have a hard time with this terrible truth myself but…we’re not gods.  We’re basically just human…we don’t have the power to save everyone all the time.”

Lena said nothing. She simply nodded sullenly.

Kara then turned to Arisia and gave the woman a gentle smile.  “I’ll take care of her tonight.”

The other Lantern nodded and gently released her student into Kara’s care. 

Once Arisia had taken her leave, Kara led Lena to a comfortable arm chair in her bedroom while she drew a hot, soothing bath for her lover. When the bath was ready, she tenderly persuaded Lena to will her costume away before she gently undressed her girlfriend. 

When they both were naked, Kara carefully swept her lover up in a bridal carry, strode into the ensuite and placed her Green Lantern in the tub.

The Kryptonian crawled into the bath behind Lena and gently leaned the CEO’s back against her breasts.  Then she used a pitcher of water to wet her woman’s hair, poured a dab of shampoo into her right hand, swirled the cleaner onto both hands and applied it to her girlfriend’s hair.

Minutes later, she rinsed the suds off with more water from the pitcher. That’s when she noticed the tears streaming from Lena’s eyes. While Kara longed to tell Lena about her concerns about Jeremiah after her foster father’s unauthorized foray into the DEO’s computer, she knew that could wait. Lena needed Kara’s sympathy and her complete devotion right now.

So, she held her girlfriend close while Lena sobbed for those she couldn’t save from death’s cold embrace.

#

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this story. Critiques, reviews and comments are always appreciated!


	17. Exodus Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeremiah Danvers appears to be working with Cadmus to help the criminal organization abduct aliens in National City, leaving both Alex and Kara distraught and confused. Meanwhile, Arisia finally has the opportunity to kick some bad-guy ass!

March 4, 2017

1946 Local Time

“Kara!” Lena Luthor called out inside her spacious penthouse as she walked through the front door.

“I’m in the great room.”

The Luthor heiress followed the sound of her lover’s voice. She knew something was wrong when she heard it. Kara’s customary cheerfulness was absent. Moments later, she found her best friend and the love of her life curled up in a blanket as Kara sat on the inner window ledge staring out into the twilight.

“Kara, darling, please tell me, what’s the matter?” the CEO asked.

Even in the low light of the room, Lena noticed the tracks of tears on the face she cherished most of all. Frantic now, she wrapped Kara in her arms. “What's happened, baby?!”

The blonde sighed deeply. “While Jeremiah sent Alex and me on a wild goose chase to raid an abandoned Cadmus facility, he beat up J’onn with some kind of bionic arm Cadmus had created for him and breached the DEO’s computer system. Then my foster father stole the alien registry and took it straight to your mother. Alex and I tried to stop them but your mother lured me away by endangering a train full of passengers. By the time I'd returned to Alex’s side, they’d given us the slip.”

“Dear God in heaven,” a shaken Lena whispered. “Lillian was willing to kill innocent people to cover her tracks?”

Kara nodded sullenly.

“I…I guess I never really knew my mother at all,” Lena noted sadly. “Even though she'd always favored Lex over me, she’d never been violent toward anyone when I lived with her. Kara, I’m so sorry for what my mother has done to your family." Then Lena shook her head. "But I don’t want you to lose hope. I’m certain she’s found some way to manipulate your foster father into doing her dirty work. I promise you, I’ll do everything I can to help you find him and get him away from her. I’ll start looking through the company’s records first thing in the morning. Maybe something, some sort of irregularity might tip us off and lead us to them.”

She received a grateful, tearful smile from Kara then. “Lena, I’m so lucky to have you in my life. You're the best friend I have ever had. I love you—I always have and always will.”

Lena gently pressed her forehead against her soulmate’s. “Kara, I love you more than life itself. I’d do anything for you. You can always count on me, darling.”

Then the lovers sealed their pledges of devotion for each other with a tender kiss.

#

Alien Bar

March 5, 2017

2107 Local Time

_Love and happiness_

_Something that can make you want to do wrong, make you do right…ye-ah._

Arisia gasped loudly when she heard the opening stanza of Al Green’s classic soul song. “Jesse! Steve! I adore this song! Lena played it on her music reproduction equipment for me the first night I’d come to Earth! There’s just something about it that really makes me want to copulate!”

The two humans sitting with her simply gawked at the alien woman while the guitar riff took over from the church organ opening and Al and his sax players got their funk on. Then Jesse cleared her throat and asked, “Would you be willing to settle for me dancing with you to the song instead?”

“Sure!” the Green Lantern of Sector 2815 chirped. Then she turned to Steve Trevor and asked, “Do you want to dance with us, too?”

He shook his head and smiled. “I think I’ll just sit this one out and enjoy the two of you having fun.”

Now Jesse smirked and shot a naughty look his way. “Come on, Arisia. I have the sneaking suspicion that it turns Steve on to watch two hot ladies getting down on the dance floor.  Wouldn’t be the first time a man enjoyed something like that.  Why don’t we give him a little show, if you know what I mean…”

“I’m up for that!” the alien announced, grabbed Jesse’s hand and took her to dance near a pair of women who were playing a game of pool near their booth.

While he nursed his drink, Trevor smiled when his companions’ sensual dance moves caught the eyes of the red head and her Latina partner who were playing pool along with that of an athletic-looking black guy who shared a table with a hot blonde alien babe and a nerdy-looking human male. Truth to tell, he couldn’t blame any of them for staring at Jesse and Arisia. The tall blonde with her runner’s physique along with the petite alien’s surprisingly buxom figure made the pair stand out in a crowd. Even so, Steve only had eyes for the little Green Lantern whose fearless attitude had enchanted him from the start. So, while Al Green continued to sing and Arisia continued to dance, he fell even deeper under her spell, a fact that didn’t bother him in the least.

#

“Oh…man,” Maggie Sawyer observed with a low moan. “The way that alien babe is grinding her body against that tall blonde hottie should be a crime,” she muttered. “Maybe I should arrest ‘em for causing a public disturbance!” she announced brightly to her lover.

Alex Danvers merely smirked at her tiny girlfriend. Even though she was still down in the dumps about her dad, the DEO agent appreciated Maggie’s attempts at distracting her from her troubles. Besides, those women were pretty damn hot…not that Alex had really noticed or anything. “Say, Sawyer, aren’t you supposed to be getting us some more beer?”

Maggie flashed her dimpled smile Alex’s way and the DEO agent thought her girl looked freaking adorable. “Okay, okay…hold your horses, Danvers.  I’m going. I can’t help it if I was kinda distracted by the…show.”

“Well,” Alex purred lowly, “if you hurry back with my beer, perhaps I’ll give you your own private show back at our place, one you’d probably enjoy even more than the one those two are putting on here.”

“Be back in less than a minute!”

As the Latina rushed over to the bartender, Alex was secure in the knowledge that her girlfriend was SO whipped.

#

“Damn…” James Olsen groaned under his breath while he stole glimpses at the petite alien dancing with the tall blonde human whenever Winn and Lyra were too fixated on each other to notice his wandering eye. Although the pixie-haired alien was cute, the fit blonde woman was the one who'd grabbed his attention. Her long, luscious hair was lighter in hue than Kara's. As it trailed down her back almost to her enticing bubble butt, she entranced him as he watched her move on the dance floor.

After the song was over, the women returned to the booth they shared with the blonde, rugged-looking guy whose bearing virtually screamed “I’m military special forces!” Meanwhile, at that moment, Lyra excused herself from their table to get another round of drinks at the bar, leaving him to discuss Winn’s apparent good fortune in regards to meeting the woman from Starhaven.

Suddenly, the relaxed setting was disrupted by six men in ski masks who smashed through the front door.  They began to shout at everyone and started to fire submachine gun rounds up toward the ceiling.  However, before they could fire three rounds each, a brisk wind swept past James and in the blink of an eye, all six men were completely disarmed.

At first, he wondered if Kara had used her super speed to take their weapons. However, when he glanced around the bar, the Kryptonian was nowhere to be found. Instead, he was surprised to see the tall blonde woman standing alongside her petite companion and the burly guy. It was that moment when James noticed the pile of disassembled submachine gun parts lying at their feet.

“Gentlemen, and, trust me, I use the term loosely,” the alien woman calmly announced, “I believe you’ve lost something.”

“I’ll say,” Alex Danvers growled while she drew her alien firearm. “They’ve clearly lost their damn minds trying to pull a stunt like this in this city! You men listen up! I’m a Federal agent and my partner here is with NCPD! You are all under arrest!”

While two of the men appeared to signal they were surrendering, another pair turned for the door. Yet, before they could take even a step, the brisk wind had returned and in its passing left both men down and out cold on the dirty floor.

Meanwhile, another man drew a hunting knife from a sheath on his belt and stalked toward the petite alien only to be intercepted by the now grim-faced blonde man. The alien woman’s companion lashed out at the other man’s knife hand with his jacket and entangled the man’s arm with the garment. Then the burly guy jerked the man forward, thrust his hip out, and used a judo throw to send the attacker down to the floor.  Immediately thereafter, he gripped the fallen man’s arm in both hands and twisted. The former attacker screamed in agony as his arm was broken.

Panicked now, the last man attempted to grab Lyra, probably wanting to use her as an inhuman shield. But the Starhaven woman dashed all his hopes when she kicked him hard in his gut and sent him flying several meters to land at the foot of the pool table where Maggie pistol-whipped him in the head and knocked him out.

While Maggie and the blonde guy moved to apprehend the men who hadn’t resisted, Alex raced out the front door with her gun in her hand. James then took the opportunity to head out the back door and shed his civilian clothing, uncovering his Guardian suit as he reached for the helmet attached to his motorcycle.

Mere seconds later, he stood at the head of the alley and discovered an unmasked man with his arm around Alex’s throat and holding a gun to her head while the buxom blonde alien angrily stared him down.

“Look, I’ve had just about enough of you idiots for one night. So, if you don’t want to lose that hand, you had better release that woman before you really piss me off.”

“Yeah? Well, what are you gonna do about it? You aren’t even packing heat!”

The alien woman sighed loudly.  “I guess you're going down the hard way then,” she murmured before some kind of green energy bubble encased the man’s gun hand.

James moved quickly. He fired his grappling gun at the man, sending the cable to wind itself around his target’s torso. Then he retracted the cable, snapping the man off of his feet and dragging him across the street to smash head first right into Guardian’s shield.

“Nice job, tall, dark and handsome!” the alien woman said with a friendly smile on her face. Then she turned her attention to Alex.  “Are you alright, Agent…”

“Danvers.  You must be that Green Lantern woman who assisted Supergirl with the incident at the airport.”

“Actually, that wasn’t me. My colleague was the one involved in that situation.” Then the petite woman shot a questioning look at Alex. “Danvers…are you, by any chance, related to the famous Catco reporter, Kara Danvers?”

Alex shot a queer look at the woman. “She’s my sister.”

“Funny,” the alien woman’s blonde friend said, startling both Alex and him. It was as if she’d appeared right out of thin air! “I don’t see the family resemblance,” the tall blonde observed.

Before the human woman could say another word, a white van roared out from another alley, peeling its tires as its driver attempted to race from the scene of the attempted crime.

“They probably were going to abduct some of the aliens and toss them in that van,” the tall blonde speculated. “We probably should stop that guy.”

“Agreed,” the petite woman said. Then she smirked. “Far be it from me to actually be given the opportunity to be useful by either my date or my dance partner after our fun night swirled down the bodily waste disposal unit," she snarked. "I'm just a Green Lantern, after all. So, go ahead. Be my guest.”

The tall blonde shook her head.  “Nah! Knock yourself out, Arisia. Besides, I’d have to open the back of the van, search for the tire iron and the jack, set it up, ratchet the damn thing up on each corner, and remove all the lugs before I take the tires off, all while the damn thing's moving.  That's a lot of work. Admittedly, the end result would be pretty spectacular but I don’t want to get my outfit dirty.”

“Point taken,” the alien drawled right before she raised her right fist and fired a massive emerald energy beam from a ring on her middle finger. Almost immediately, the energy formed itself into a gargantuan chain that would have been at home hauling a warship’s anchor from the bottom of the sea. The chain attached itself to the van’s drive train and when it pulled taut, it yanked both rear wheels out from under the chassis.

Even though the driver continued to gun the engine, the disabled vehicle was going nowhere fast. Now the alien woman turned and regarded her companions with a smug smile on her face. “I’d say _that_ end result turned out to be pretty cool after all!”

As the other woman nodded and grinned at her friend, Alex and he said nothing. They simply continued to gawk at both of the strange women in disbelief.

#

DEO Building

March 5, 2017

2147 Local Time

Supergirl landed on the balcony and entered the building proper to find three of her new friends having a conversation with her sister.  “Arisia! Jesse! Steve! Alex told me what you all did at the bar.  Thank you for taking care of the Superfriends and helping Alex nab those Cadmus guys!”

Trevor nodded to her. “No problem, Supergirl. It was the least we could do, especially after those idiots attacked people who were just minding their own business.”

“Besides, I finally got the chance to kick some ass!” a cheerful Arisia exclaimed.

“I heard!” Kara returned the petite blonde’s grin with one of her own. Then Supergirl turned to regard the slightly taller blonde with an appreciative eye. “Disassembling their automatic weapons in the blink of a human’s eye? Nice, JC, very nice!”

The elder woman shrugged nonchalantly. “Yeah, that was kind of cool.  I would have topped it by using the-removing-the-tires-from-a-speeding-vehicle gag but I didn’t want to mess up my outfit.”

Kara nodded with a slight pout on her lips. “I understand but that would have been awesome to see!”

Alex then noisily cleared her throat.  “Excuse me. I hate to break up this impromptu meeting of the Caped Club’s Mutual Appreciation Society but the men we captured aren’t the only Cadmus jerks out there attempting to abduct aliens in National City.”

Kara had her ‘deadly serious’ look on her face now. “Alex is right. We need to warn the public about this. Maybe I should write an article about it in the Trib.”

Jesse shook her head then. “I don’t think so, Kara. We need as many eyeballs and ears to receive this message as quickly as possible.  How about we go to the mayor and have him put Supergirl on the city’s Emergency Broadcasting System. After you’d saved the whole world from Myriad last year, everyone will listen to you.”

“That’s actually…an excellent idea, Ms. Chambers,” Alex said.

Jesse simply took Kara’s sister’s praise in stride.  “Well, I do run a media company as my day job.”

“That’s nice to know,” Alex noted agreeably before she turned to Supergirl and asked, “Kara, may I speak to you in private for a moment, please?”

“Okay,” the Kryptonian said and followed her sister to a distant corner in the large space.

When they were situated, Alex spoke lowly. “Kara, these people know your secret identity?”

“Yes! Isn’t that great? It’s so nice to work with people like me for a change.  It brings back fond memories from my time working with Team Flash, Team Arrow, and the Legends on Earth One!” Then a wary expression crossed her face. “Well, except for the memories I have about Mick. He’s kind of strange...and a little...well...gross.”

“I see your point about both Arisia and Ms. Chambers since they have powers.  However, Colonel Trevor knows your secret, too!”

“He already knew about it.”

Alex regarded Kara with her eyes wide open.  “He what?!”

“Steve reports to General Lane. The general learned about my secret identity from Maxwell Lord and he’d told Steve about me.  But I wouldn’t worry about that, if I were you. I think Arisia and he are becoming an item and the men in his family have always had a thing for a certain superhero. Why, his granddad and his dad worked closely with Wonder Woman! How cool is that?!”

“That…is definitely pretty cool, sis. Right now, though, let’s prepare the statement you’re going to present on the Emergency Broadcasting System with Ms. Chambers' assistance, all right?”

She grinned at her sister, her port in any storm.  “Okay, Alex. Let’s get to work!”

#   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this story. Critiques, reviews and comments are always appreciated!


	18. Exodus Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara shows up to save the day for Lena at L Corp despite the fact Lena has things well in hand. Then Supergirl, Jesse Quick and the two Green Lanterns race to Cadmus' facility to try and rescue both Jeremiah and Alex Danvers.

Being entrusted with a power ring by the Guardians of the Universe had most definitely had a major impact on the thought processes of Lena Luthor while she tumbled over the railing of her balcony forty stories above ground.

Before she had the ring, in this situation, while she fell, she'd probably have watched her short life flash in front of her very eyes before either a) Supergirl rescued her, or b) she died when she struck the unforgiving concrete below.

Now, all she wanted was to fall far enough so she could change into her Green Lantern uniform where the Cadmus men wouldn’t see her transformation. Oh, she also had the passing thought that she was quite impressed by the comfortable yet secure fit of her Jimmy Choo Romy 85 black kid leather pumps. The fact they were still on her feet despite the acceleration her body was experiencing spoke well about the high quality of their construction, she noted smugly to herself.

Also, that they doubled as her CFM pumps for Kara only served to enhance their value in her book.

Just when she'd believed she’d dropped far enough so she couldn’t be seen from above, her body was delicately swept up and cradled by a pair of powerful yet gentle arms.

“Baby, are you okay?” Kara asked breathlessly. “Those men didn’t hurt you, did they?”

The Luthor gave her Supergirl her best thousand watt smile. “Oh, hello, darling! Even though I had things under control here, I’m always happy to find my way into your arms!”

Kara flashed a beautiful smile of her own at her girlfriend for a brief moment before the expression on the Kryptonian's face sobered. “Did they push you off your balcony?”

“No, darling. I used the struggle with them to tumble over the railing. It was really the only way I could get enough distance between them and me to become the Green Lantern and protect my secret identity from exposure.”

“Even though that was the smart thing to do, I don’t like it. I never want to see you in any danger.”

“I feel the same way about you, dear, but in this business, I’m afraid it comes with the territory.”

“Maybe so, but I want to go and have a word with those ‘gentlemen.’”

Seconds later, Kara floated on the other side of the balcony railing while she carried Lena in her arms as if the woman was her bride. Then she glared at the two stunned men and asked, “Did you drop something?” before she bowled them over with a powerful gust of her super breath.

Although the men were down, they were semi-conscious. Thus, the lovers had to be careful not to give themselves away when they discussed how Supergirl had appeared in the nick of time. Unknown to the two men, though, was the fact that Lena had commanded her currently invisible power ring to link her mind with Kara’s.

“So, how did you know I was in trouble, Supergirl?” Lena announced loudly.

“Um…I...was having coffee with Kara Danvers when I heard you warn off your attackers over her phone.”

Verbally, Lena said nothing for a moment as she cocked a well-groomed eyebrow at her lover.   _Really? That’s the story you’re going with? Tell me, dear, who has coffee klatches in the middle of the freaking night?!_

_I don’t know! It’s the best I could come up with on the spur of the moment!_

Now an overly bright and grateful expression dawned on Lena’s face that was completely at odds with the telepathic message of derision she sent to Kara.  _You’re not just bad at lying, you suck at it!_  However, what she actually said out loud was, “Wow! That was lucky!”

While Kara appeared heroically resolute to anyone who may have been watching, she huffed at her girlfriend in her mind.  _“Maybe I’m not a good liar like some corporate types because I stand for truth, justice and the Amer--“”_

Telepathically, Lena cut Supergirl’s statement off at the knees.   _Kara, I swear to God, if you complete that thought, you’ll be banished to the couch for the next few nights!_ What she said out loud, though, was, “Supergirl, what I have to tell Kara is something she won’t like. It’s about Cadmus. I think I know which LexCorp building they’re using.”

#

Thirty minutes later, Arisia and Jesse joined Kara and Lena in the night sky above the outskirts of National City. The alien Green Lantern had transported Jesse in an energy construct bubble that also had a comfortable safety seat like those inside the cockpits of jet fighters for the speedster.

All four women had suited up. Both Lanterns wore heavily armored versions of their uniforms in case they had to engage Hank Henshaw in hand-to-hand combat. Jesse was garbed in a costume consisting of yellow boots, gloves and track shorts, a red top with black Mercury wings on her chest and a black partial cowl that covered her face but allowed her beautiful hair to fly freely. Of course, Kara was in the suit Wynn had fashioned for her, a suit Lena had planned on replacing with an upgraded model when she found the time.

Tomorrow, she was scheduled to interview Tamara Fox for the company’s COO role. Based on the woman’s portfolio and Bruce’s glowing reviews, Lena was convinced it was her job to sell Tamara on the position rather than Tamara’s job to sell Lena on the woman’s qualifications. Which was fine with the CEO. Considering all she had to do as the Lantern of Sector 2814 even with Arisia sticking around to continue her training and acting as her partner, Tamara couldn’t come on board soon enough to suit Lena. Besides, she needed Tamara’s help when they interviewed Dinah Lance for the Chief of Corporate Security job. After the day she had with the men Alana, the traitor, had sent after her, she needed someone to focus on weeding out the Cadmus infiltrators and the people who were still loyal to Lex from the company.

Now they were only moments away from the supposedly abandoned LexCorp facility her investigation had shown was being used by Cadmus when Kara raised a hand to the DEO comm-link she wore in her right ear. “Say again, Winn,” she instructed. Then her eyes shot wide open. “Are you telling me that my sister, who was told to stand down, is trapped aboard a Cadmus’ alien starship that’s set to jump into hyperspace once it clears Earth’s atmosphere?!”

When Lena overheard that disturbing bit of information, she shot a look full of all the confidence she had in her lover’s abilities at Kara. “Baby, we’ll handle things here and bring your dad home.  Go save your sister!”

Supergirl nodded to her before she raced off into twilight.

#

It was only mere seconds after Kara had gone after her sister when Lena, Jesse and Arisia smashed aside one of the massive hangar doors of the facility. The alien Lantern released Jesse Quick from the energy bubble, allowing the speedster to run amok.

The long-haired blonde raced through the building disarming and punching Cadmus security goons.  Then, while Jesse was busy causing disruption in the Cadmus ranks, the Lanterns found Hank Henshaw standing triumphant over the unconscious form of Jeremiah Danvers. That sight caused both women’s blood to boil. “Get away from him, you monster!” Lena commanded right before both ring-slingers fired a pair of incredibly powerful energy bolts that would have been strong enough to knock either Kara Zor-El or Kal-El for a loop. The beams struck Henshaw full in the chest, sending him flying more than twenty meters straight through a concrete block wall and leaving a Cyborg Superman-sized hole in the façade.

Lena turned to her partner and said, “Arisia, stay with Mr. Danvers and shield him. I’m going after Lillian!”

Her friend simply nodded to her and erected a force field once Lena had moved clear. As Earth’s Green Lantern penetrated deeper inside the facility, she lashed out with her power ring at anyone foolish enough to even look at her crossly. Soon, she reached a cadre of guards and created an energy construct human-sized flyswatter. Then she used her weapon to sweep aside the guards, leaving Lena to face the woman who’d taken her into her family but had often been the bane of the young Luthor’s existence.

“Lillian Luthor, you are under arrest!”

The tall, regal-looking woman pursed her lips and aimed a handgun at the dauntless hero. Several heartbeats pulsed between the two women before a confused Lillian lowered the gun to her side and appeared to study her opponent’s face. “Lena?” Lillian breathed. “My…God…it’s really you!”

The Green Lantern willed her mask away and glared at her stepmother through unfiltered eyes. “Does it really matter to you, mom? I mean, didn’t you leave me to die when your little science project, Metallo, turned one of Lex’s bunkers into a radioactive hole in the ground? And what about the two men you sent after me an hour ago? They knocked me over the railing of my own balcony!”

At least her mother had the decency to cringe. “Lena, darling. I’d never leave you to die! I knew that Kryptonian and her Martian friend would save you. And you must believe me when I tell you I never told those men to harm you. They were only supposed to detain you for a little while, nothing more than that.”

“You don’t think that depriving me of my freedom wouldn’t harm me? What is wrong with you?”

Lillian gave her the look every child has received from an angry and disappointed parent and Lena had to fight the automatic response of glancing down at the floor to avoid it. “Young lady, you have some nerve demanding to know what’s wrong with me! What about you? You betrayed me! You called the police on your own mother! Apparently it slipped your mind that I took you in even after I suffered the humiliation of having my husband cheat on me with your biological mother. However, even though I had your existence as a constant reminder of his betrayal, I never held it against you. You were an innocent, beautiful girl, the little girl I’d always wanted. And even though I didn’t birth you, I love you. I always have. It may not have been quite the same feeling as I have for your brother, but it’s strong and it’s true. Yet, despite everything your father, your brother and I have done for you, you’ve turned your back on us. So, my dear, perhaps there’s something wrong with you!”

Lena shook her head. “Mother, you must find living in a state of denial quite comforting. Well, I’m now one of the protectors of the universe and I’ve vowed to stop people who terrorize and victimize innocents—people like you! Mom…please…even though I felt like my relationship with you wasn’t as close as the one you had with Lex, before this Cadmus business, I was always proud to be your daughter. Everyone who knew our family always said you were such a gracious and kind person. I miss that woman, so, so very much. Can’t you find your way back to her again?”

Lillian gave Lena a look both of longing and sorrow. “I wish I could, dear. But without me, Cadmus would fall apart and our world would be completely vulnerable to the alien invaders.”

“Mother, they’re not invaders…they’re refugees. The people your men abducted are being forcibly removed from the new lives they were trying to build here. You’re terrorizing people who’ve already escaped injustice once. Just so you know, Supergirl has gone after that ship. Knowing her, I’m certain she’s stopped it from leaving by now.”

Lillian smirked. “I wouldn’t bet on that, if I were you, sweetheart. That ship has automatic defenses programmed to swat that pesky Kryptonian out of the sky. You really shouldn’t go near it, dear. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Lena blinked twice to fight back her tears. It was a hard thing to realize that her mother hated the woman who was the love of her life. Then she gave her mother a frosty glare. “Lillian, we’re taking Jeremiah Danvers with us then I’m going after Supergirl. You’d better be gone in the next five minutes before the DEO comes in with guns blazing.” Then she looked away from her mother, dismissing Lillian’s presence entirely. “Jesse Quick!” she snapped.

One moment the space next to Lena was empty. The next, Jesse was standing right beside her.

“I’m here.”

“Take Mr. Danvers to our safe house. Arisia and I are going after that starship. We’ll meet up later.”

“Got it,” the speedster said before she zipped over to Alex’s and Kara’s dad, lifted him up and draped him over her shoulder in a fireman’s carry. Then she raced out of the building.

After the Luthor willed her mask back in its place, Arisia and Lena took flight through the opening they’d created earlier.

Lena didn’t look back.

#

Kara had done it!

Alex was so proud of her little sister! Based on the sheer agony on Kara’s face and the inhuman scream of pain Alex could hear even through the thick hull of the ship, she knew her sister had given her all to stop the ship dead in its tracks.

Alex’s hand was pressed against the windscreen on the ship’s bridge in an attempt to connect with Kara. She became alarmed, though, when Kara’s hand began to slide down the glass away from hers. She shot a panicked look at her sister’s face then heard the fatigue in Kara’s voice even through the barrier that separated them. “Alex…please tell Lena…I’m sorry. Tell her…she made me so happy…tell her…I will always…love her. Alex…live for me…live…for you and Maggie. I…love…you.”

Then Kara’s eyes closed and her body fell away from the ship while a helpless Alex Danvers screamed.

#

“Kara!” Lena cried out when she saw the limp caped figure in the distance tumbling toward the surface of the planet far below.

“Lena! Go get our girl while I board that ship and make sure it isn’t going anywhere!”

Lena Luthor didn’t even take the time to acknowledge she’d heard Arisia's command. She rocketed forward toward Supergirl like a locked-on target heat-seeking missile.

Seconds later, she’d closed the distance and consciously had to slow herself down when she approached her frightfully-still lover. She struggled to suppress every instinct that screamed at her to snatch Kara out of the sky. If Kara had blown out her powers, too sudden of a stop could snap the girl’s neck.

Lena carefully matched Kara’s velocity before she gently wrapped her arms around her lover’s body and began to slowly reduce their speed while minutely changing their vector upwards.

Soon, she’d altered their course so they were rising toward the stalled starship. Hopefully, Lena thought, she could continue to hold it together long enough to get Kara safely aboard that ship before the mighty Green Lantern lost it all, broke down and wept like a baby.

#

The second Arisia phased through the hull onto the bridge, she found Agent Danvers there screaming her head off.

“Danvers! What’s wrong?” the Green Lantern yelled.

The frantic woman grabbed Arisia by both shoulders. “It’s all my fault! If I hadn’t gone looking for my father at Cadmus, he’d still be alive! And my sister wouldn’t have drained her powers stopping this ship and had just given her life to save mine!”

“Agent Danvers,” Arisia cooed, trying to calm the distraught woman.  “We rescued your father from the Cadmus facility.  He was injured but he’s alive. And as for your sister, my partner saw her fall and went to save her.” Then she spied the rapid approach of an emerald light and smiled. “Look!” she commanded and pointed to the windscreen. “Here they come now!”

Moments later, Lena phased through the hull onto the bridge with an unconscious Supergirl wrapped securely in both arms.

Almost immediately, the Luthor gently laid Kara down on the decking and both brunettes knelt on either side of the Kryptonian. While Arisia commanded her ring to simulate the radiation emitted by the Earth’s sun to help Kara recharge, Alex checked her sister’s vitals and wept quietly.

“Green Lantern,” the DEO agent murmured, “Anything you want…it's yours. I owe you everything for saving my sister's life.”

The Emerald Gladiator of Sector 2814 shook her head and willed her mask away. Then she caught Alex’s eye. “You don’t owe me anything, Alex. I’d gladly give my life for hers--without hesitation or reservation.

Kara's sister drew Lena to her in a grateful hug.  “Thank you, Lena. Thank you,” Alex breathed.

When Alex released a clearly touched Lena, the blonde cradled between them stirred and her eyes blinked open.  “Lena? Alex?”

“Hey!” a sniffling Alex softly exclaimed. “You gave us quite the scare, sis.”

“I did?”

Lena nodded fervently. “That you did, _a rúnsearc_.”

Now the Kryptonian sighed deeply. “I guess I’m in trouble then. Are you going to make me sleep on the couch, baby?”

“No, my darling,” the Luthor cooed. “As long as you’ll have me, we’ll always share the same bed together!”

“Ew! Dammit, Luthor! Her older sister is right here! So, I don’t want to hear any more TMI about my baby sister, if you please!”

Lena narrowed her eyes at the agent and drawled, “Well, you’d better cover your eyes then because I’m going to kiss your sister right now…and I warn you; tongues will be involved!”

“Ew!!!” Alex yelped as she rushed to cover her eyes with both hands.

#

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this story! Reviews, critiques or comments are welcome!


	19. Daddy's Home!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Expecting to be under heavy sedation in the hands of Cadmus, Jeremiah Danvers is surprised to find himself waking up in a normal-looking bedroom.

“Where is he?!”

Jesse Chambers appeared startled by Alex Danver’s query when it came from the direction of the exterior wall where Lena and Arisia had phased both Kara and Alex from the night sky outside into Lena Luthor’s penthouse. Of course, Alex was startled, too, since her body had just _phased_ through a solid, freaking wall! It left her wondering if there was anything Lena and her attractive alien friend couldn’t do with their freaking rings.

“Your father seems to be resting comfortably in one of Lena’s bedrooms, Agent Danvers,” the tall blonde said. “Follow me.”

Jesse led Kara, Lena, Arisia and Alex down a fairly long hallway for what was basically a glorified apartment, Alex thought grumpily, a bit envious of the CEO's opulent home. It was as plain as the nose on Alex's face the Luthor was loaded and didn't mind letting anyone who visited her home know it.

Once they'd reached the last room, the woman led them inside to find an unconscious Jeremiah Danvers lying fully clothed in the center of a queen-sized bed.

His biological daughter studied his face first and didn't know whether she should be ecstatic or wary. The pain from both his betrayal and J'onn's subterfuge of tricking her to admit she'd hold out on the DEO to help her dad was still fresh in her mind. Now she could see a few bruises and a small cut over her father's left eyebrow. Then she noticed he appeared to be breathing steadily.

“What happened to him?”

“I think he fought that Henshaw man,” Lena reported. “Arisia and I found that monster standing over the unconscious form of your father. I think we both saw red in that very moment and blasted Henshaw out of the building.”

“Alex,” Kara murmured. “I just scanned him with my x-ray vision. There’s a rather large bruise on the upper left side of his chest. However, he doesn’t have any broken bones or fractures.”

Lena frowned at Kara. “Darling, I don’t think it’s wise for you to use your powers until you’ve fully recovered from stopping that starship dead in its tracks!”

Kara gave her girlfriend one of her sunny smiles though it was dimmed a bit by the look of fatigue on her face. “Baby, thank you for wanting to take care of me but I’m fine. I’m feeling much better already thanks to the recharge Arisia gave me!”

“I don’t know, Kara. I think Lena’s right. You look a little worn out to me,” Alex observed.

“See, darling? Your sister agrees with me.  So, listen to your girlfriend and check your powers for the rest of the night, all right?”

Kara huffed. “Okay, Ms. Bossypants,” her sister grumbled.

Lena hugged her sister and pressed a gentle kiss to Kara's temple. “That’s my good Supergirl.”

Although Alex had to really fight down the urge to hurl after watching the powerful business woman morph into her little sister’s mothering-cuddle bunny, now she had to put aside both her current disgust and the trauma she’d suffered earlier watching the Luthor defile her baby sister aboard that damned starship to care for her father. As she moved closer to his side, Alex muttered, “You know, I wish I had my medical kit here.”

Suddenly, a brisk wind stirred Alex’s hair. A moment later, Ms. Chambers was standing next to her, holding out an industrial-sized medical kit. “Here you go, Agent Danvers. Lena bought this for us. Knowing her, I think you’ll find it has everything you need.”

She took the heavy suitcase from the other woman and placed it on one side of the bed. Then she opened it to find a well-stocked kit that was a physician’s wet dream. “Ohmigod!” she nearly shouted. “I’ve seen EMT bags that couldn't hold a candle to this!”

“Well,” Lena said with a slight shrug, “considering what we do during our extra-curricular activities, I thought it would be prudent to have something like that on hand.”

Alex simply nodded woodenly at the Luthor. Man, she mused to herself, this woman had it all, brains, beauty, money, power, not to mention an alien ring that acted as her personal genie of the lamp. No wonder her sister had fallen hard for the Luthor. Truth to tell, Alex, herself, was kind of smitten with the woman, too, especially whenever she happened to gaze deeply into Lena's gorgeous green eyes. Then she shook herself from those scandalous musings and refocused on her task. She gently unbuttoned her father’s shirt to make room for the stethoscope she'd found in the kit. She used the device to listen to her father’s heart then his breathing for a minute or so. Next, she reached for an examination light from the kit. She turned back to her father, lifted one of his eyelids and shined the light into his pupil. “His eyes are responsive to the light.  That’s a good sign,” she announced.  “It appears he’s sleeping. However, if he suffered a head injury, that might not be good for him in the long run. I’m going to wake him up and ask him some questions about his condition. Before I do that, can someone get me an ice pack for the bruise on his chest?”

A split second after she’d made her request, she felt an ice pack being slapped into the palm of her right hand. She stared at the frozen plastic before she glanced up and narrowed her eyes at her sister in annoyance. “Kara, didn’t Lena and I tell you not to use your powers tonight?”

Her sister blinked at her like an owl up in a tree in the middle of the forest. “Alex, I didn’t move a muscle. That wasn’t me; it was Jesse!”

The DEO agent stared at the other blonde in the room with wide eyes. “Ms. Chambers—”

“Jesse, please, Agent Danvers.”

She smiled at the woman. “Okay…Jesse it is but only if you stop calling me ‘Agent Danvers.’ I’m Alex.”

“Hi, Alex!”

“Hi, Jesse. So…are you an alien like my sister?”

Jesse chuckled and shook her head.  “No. I’m a metahuman. I inherited my powers from both of my parents.”

“She’s amazing, Alex!” Kara gushed. “She’s strong enough to lift a pick-up truck over her head! And she’s fast, maybe as fast as my friend, Barry Allen, from Earth One!”

“That…is…incredible,” Alex agreed. Then she shot a look at Arisia then Lena. “And you two…you’re _both_ Green Lanterns?”

“Yes,” Arisia said. “We are members of an intergalactic law enforcement organization. There are thirty-six hundred Corpsmen. We work on the behalf of the eldest race in the cosmos. They created these rings to tap into the virtually unlimited power battery on their homeworld. The Lanterns wield this power to protect the innocent and to bring those who seek to seriously harm people on an interstellar scale to justice.”

“See, Alex?” Kara beamed at her. “We’re all heroes, just like you!”

After all they’d been through, even after she’d killed Kara’s aunt, Kara still looked up to her. Alex felt choked up inside by the unshakable pride her sister had always felt toward her. “That's nice of you to say, sis. But, tonight, you and your friends were the real heroes. So, on behalf of my father and myself, thank you all from the bottom of my heart.”

When the four women regarded her with shy and awkward glances, she shook her head sadly. Kara had almost died saving the world from Myriad and stopping that starship--Arisia and Lena had saved people both on Earth and on alien worlds--Jesse had brought down the evil speedster at the airport, saving at least hundreds of lives. Yet, here they stood, gob smacked when someone earnestly thanked them for all that they'd done. It was a sad state of affairs that they'd rarely received any accolades for their selfless and heroic acts, she mused while she reached for a smelling salt capsule inside the medical kit. Once she had it, she snapped the capsule in half and waved it under her dad’s nostrils.

Soon, he winced and jerked his head away from the capsule’s pungent odor.

“Dad. Dad! Please, wake up. You’re safe now.”

“What…” he muttered, slowly moving his head side-to-side. “Where?”

“Dad, it’s me, Alex. Kara is here with us, too.”

He blinked several times before he fully opened his eyes and seemingly focused on the face of his devoted daughter. “Alex?”

She smiled a gentle smile. “Hey, Dad. Welcome back. How do you feel?”

He winced then groaned. “I feel like I’ve gone a few rounds with the Cyborg Superman.”

At that moment, the smile ran away from her face. “Henshaw! He was the one who hurt you?”

“Yeah,” he admitted then smirked. “I also got in a few good shots on him, too. That is, I did right before he zapped me with that eyebeam of his.”

“He hit you in the chest with it?”

“Yes…yes, that’s where it struck me.”

“Hmm," she noted in her 'science!' voice.  "Fortunately, it didn’t cut into you like it had with Maggie. For some reason, it appeared to hit you like an impact rather than how a laser would normally pierce flesh. Maybe the ray he fires acts more like a particle beam.”

“That sounds about right,” he agreed. Then he turned his gaze upon his youngest daughter. “You rescued your sister and the aliens from that Cadmus ship?”

Kara gave him one of her sunniest smiles and nodded.

“Good girl!” Then a somber expression clouded over his face. “Kara…Alex…I’m so sorry for everything that I’ve done. I can only say I did it to protect you both and Eliza from harm. They told me that if I didn’t help them or if I tried to reach out to you, they would have killed your mother and you.”

“Shh, Dad,” Alex cooed. “Cadmus and its threats are all in the past. We’re going to take care of you and we’ll protect mom and you from them. We’re going to make certain those bastards never get a hold of you ever again!”

Then she hugged him close and began to weep softly. While he held his eldest daughter in one arm, he shot a look of longing at Kara over Alex’s shoulder and his adopted child bounded over to him like a puppy to wrap her sister and him in a big hug.

#

As he basked in the warmth of being held by his children, he noticed the three other women in the room. They were slowly moving toward the door, apparently leaving to give him and his daughters some privacy. For some reason, though, he had a hunch it would be better for everyone if they stayed. Maybe they could clear up a few things for him because, frankly, he was stunned that he wasn’t in a Cadmus truck heading for God-knows-where strapped down to a stretcher and under heavy sedation.

“Ladies, excuse me,” he called out to the women. “If Kara was helping Alex get off of that spaceship, who were the people who rescued me from that Cadmus facility?”

A beautiful brunette with green eyes that glowed like jade and a strong jaw-line that looked razor-sharp answered him. “We rescued you, Mr. Danvers.”

He blinked at that. Although they were all lovely, unless they were aliens with powers like Kara’s, he had a difficult time believing that they, alone, could have gotten him out of that compound filled to the brim with armed and dangerous men. “How were you able to do that?” he whispered.

“We have…abilities…I guess you can say powers. Although we’re not as powerful as Kara is, we had enough firepower to handle Henshaw.”

“What did you do to him?”

The petite blonde with the great tan smiled brightly at him. “Oh, we just blasted him through a masonry wall! He wasn’t any trouble at all after that!”

He couldn’t help but smile back at her. “You don’t say? Well, I must admit I’m sorry I wasn’t awake to see you kick that man’s prejudiced ass to the curb!”

“We could show you a recording of it from our rings, if you like,” the pixie-like woman offered.

He grinned. “Oh, I think you three and I will get along just fine,” he mused. Then he gave them a look of gratitude. “Thank you for getting me out of there and bringing my girls to see me.”

“No need to thank us, sir,” the tall blonde said. “We save people from those who’d seek to harm the innocent. It’s kind of like a job but with no pay, which, when you think about it, kind of sucks big time,” she teased, the self-deprecating smile plain on her attractive lips.

“Even so, I shall always be grateful to you.”

“Jeremiah,” Kara said as she crossed over to the three women, “this,” she then hugged the tall blonde, “is my friend, Jesse.” Then she moved to hug the petite woman. “This is my friend, Arisia.” Finally, she hugged the brunette woman and gently pressed her forehead against the slightly shorter woman’s forehead. “And this is Lena. She’s my best friend and the love of my life.”

Interesting, he thought. Both of my girls love other girls.

 _That’s all right,_ he then mused to himself. _That means I now have four daughters I need to do whatever I can to love and protect while I hope Eliza can find it in her heart to forgive me for everything I've done to harm our family._  

#

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this story! Reviews, critiques or comments are welcome!


	20. The Brave and the Bold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena finds out her mother knows Kara's secret identity and has to face a deadly threat to half the state of California without her beloved friends and girlfriend at her side. However, Lena does not go into battle alone. Witness the team up of the bravest Green Lantern of them all with Firestorm, the bold Nuclear Man!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is heavily inspired by Episode 3 of the animated series "Justice League - Action," _The Nuclear Family_ but it does depart from the episode in how it takes the topic of nuclear warfare more seriously than the episode along with how the final battle occurs between our heroes and the antagonists.

_“Warning!”_ the Esperanza Canyon Nuclear Power Plant automatic alert announced. _“Plant security breached. Nuclear core compromised. Evacuate all personnel! Evacuate all personnel!”_

Suddenly, a blast wave of green radiation shattered the concrete of one of the plant’s cooling towers. While plant workers raced out from the facility, another blast opened a hole in the wall of the building that contained both the control room and the core. Moments later, six figures glided down from the sky through the hole and landed inside the building. Once inside, the invaders continued to fire blasts of nuclear energy from their hands as they forcefully infiltrated the power plant.

#

Lena Luthor was seated at her desk struggling to keep her mind on the stack of work in her overflowing in-basket. _Man_ , she mused inwardly, _I can’t wait for Tamara Fox to come aboard as L-Corp’s new Chief Operating Officer and help take some of this off of my hands!_ Fortunately, after Lena had interviewed the woman and found they were in-sync, Lena had practically promised Tamara the moon and the stars, along with a hefty seven figure salary with stock options and compensation to make Tamara whole for any losses she sustained in leaving behind her top-hat retirement fund at Wayne Enterprises. Fortunately for Lena, Tamara had accepted the offer and agreed to start at L-Corp in two weeks’ time.

Then late last night, both Arisia and she had taken Jeremiah and Eliza Danvers under the cover of a new moon sky to Central City. They then left Kara’s foster father in Dr. Snow’s care once they had removed the tracking device Cadmus had placed in the man’s bionic arm.

However, there was no rest for the wicked. Kara, along with Clark, Jesse, and Arisia had left early in the morning to assist the legendary Wonder Woman deal with a dangerous volcano on a small island located near Java. Supergirl and Superman would attempt to do what they could to keep the volcano from exploding as Krakatoa had back in the nineteenth century while the others evacuated everyone in the danger zone. So, Lena hoped things would stay quiet while Kara and the others were gone because she had no backup to speak of.

Lena really wasn’t dealing well with Kara being away from her at that moment because they’d found out from Kara’s foster father that Lillian had learned Kara’s secret identity from Hank Henshaw. Knowing how much of an adorable self-sacrificing idiot Kara was, she just knew her girlfriend would be beating herself up right now for coming between Lena and her mother rather than keeping her full attention on her mission to settle down that active volcano.

Well then, she mused, she’d just have to make Kara understand in no uncertain terms that Lena would never let anything, especially her misguided step-mother, come between Lena and the love of her life. No. Lillian would have to either accept their relationship or get the hell out of their way!

Now, she rolled her eyes at her woolgathering and chided herself. Then she pulled her big girl pants up and committed to the daunting task of clearing out her bloody in-box right before Jess burst through her door.

“Ms. Luthor! You’ve got to see this!”

Jess didn’t even wait for her response. The woman picked up the remote on Lena’s desk and turned on the large flat screen.

The concerned-looking male news anchor on Catco’s afternoon broadcast said,   _“We’ve just got word there’s an incident at the Esperanza Canyon Nuclear Power Plant located about a hundred miles north of National City. A group that has not identified itself or claimed any ties to any known terrorist organization has infiltrated the central core. Our scientific advisers have told us the plant is, at best, an hour away from a total meltdown!”_

Lena glanced at Jess, expecting to see an expression of fear on the woman’s face. Instead, she found Jess regarding her with a look of great expectation. “With both Supergirl and Superman overseas, it’s up to you, Ms. Luthor.”

“What do you mean, it’s up to me, Jess?”

“There’s no time for this nonsense anymore, Ms. Luthor. You’re the Green Lantern. I knew it was you once Kara Danvers told everyone about the Lantern’s qualities in that article she wrote about you a few weeks ago. Everything she’d said described you to a ‘T’. Ms. Danvers' article merely revealed the hero you’ve always been in my eyes.”

Lena gave her assistant a watery smile as she raised her right hand, willed her ring to become visible and commanded the energy of the ring to change her clothing into the Cosmic Crusader’s uniform.

Jess then crossed over to her and gave her a hug. “Go get ‘em, Ms. Luthor. And don’t you worry about a thing. Your secret is safe with me.  I’ll never tell a soul, you have my word on that!”

“Oh, Jess,” she breathed, “I’ve never been concerned about your discretion, ever! Also, from now on, call me Lena and consider yourself a member of Team Lantern!”

Once the women had released each other, Lena’s ring flared with green energy. Then she turned toward the sliding glass door that led out to her balcony, took flight, phased through the glass, and shot into the sky like a bat-out-of-hell.

#

**Esperanza Canyon Nuclear Power Plant**

**1317 Local Time**

In the sky near the stricken power plant, a man with an athlete’s powerful build stared at the facility with an excited expression on his face.

“Strap yourself in tight, Professor Stein…’cause the heat is ON!” he announced and paused as if he could truly hear the fanfare of the trumpets blaring in his ears.

In his mind’s eye, Ronnie Raymond, university senior and the physical part of the multiplex team members who made up the world’s first nuclear powered hero, ‘Firestorm’, could see the disembodied head of his mentor and advisor, Dr. Martin Stein, celebrated Nobel-prize physicist, while he streaked toward the power plant with flames streaming from the top of his head and both feet. _“The heat is what?!”_

“The heat is ON! You know, it’s our new superhero catchphrase. Pretty cool, huh?”

_“What’s not cool, Ronald, is this power plant. By my calculations, it’s well on its way to a total meltdown.”_

“Then it’s up to Firestorm to save the day because the heat is ON!” When he saw the professor roll the eyes on the man’s disembodied head in his mind, he grinned and apologized. “Sorry, Prof. I just love saying that!”

“I see that Batman was right about you. You do talk to yourself…a lot. It’s good to finally meet you, Firestorm.”

He heard the smoky and sexy woman’s voice over his shoulder and slightly above him. Then he chanced a glance in that direction and the man with the motor mouth nearly lost all ability to speak a single word.

She was an emerald-clad angel descended from the heavens above. Despite her mask, he was drawn to her delicate features, her tantalizing ruby red lips, her beautiful brunette hair with highlights of mahogany, and her body of dangerous curves packed in that skin-tight uniform.

_“Dear God, Ronald, that woman is gorgeous!”_

Ronnie winced at the professor’s exclamation. “Prof…that just sounds SO wrong coming from an old dude!”

He sensed Stein’s annoyance with him through their link. _“I’m not so old I can’t appreciate the charms of a lovely woman, young man.”_

Ronnie shivered inwardly and decided to simply drop the matter while he spoke to the woman. “Green Lantern?!”

She nodded. “Let me tell you about my powers so we can go in there and be on the same page. My ring works through my willpower. I manipulate its energy to form objects or project energy blasts limited only by my imagination.”

“Really?! That sounds kind of like how my powers work. I manipulate matter and energy on the subatomic level. I can transform one element into another and manipulate the molecules of non-biological matter into any shape or form I choose. Also, if you don’t mind, please tell Batman I’m not some kind of kook. To become the Nuclear Man, an accident fused me with a brilliant scientist, turning us into the world’s first nuclear-powered superhero. We share minds, so to speak, and he advises me during our adventures.”

“Intriguing,” she said with a curl of her lips that had enthralled both men. “I’d love to discuss your situation further after we deal with the infiltrators. Before we go inside like gangbusters, though, I’d like to take a more…stealthy approach. I can phase through solid objects like walls. I can help you do the same if you’d like.”

“Cool!” he exclaimed. “I can modify my molecular structure to do the same!”

She grinned.  “Nice! Shall we go then?” she asked and the two heroes streaked toward the main building.

Moments after phasing through one of the walls, they floated cautiously down several corridors until they encountered two men dressed in cumbersome radiation suits running toward them. Suddenly one of the men stumbled and fell right in the path of an approaching cloud of steam that glowed a sickly green color.

 _“Careful, Ronald!”_ Stein yelled. _“That’s radioactive steam!”_

The Green Lantern wasted no time and used her ring to form a pair of giant hands that reached out, grabbed the men and placed them safely behind the two heroes.

Meanwhile, Ronnie shook his flaming head and said to Stein, “No, it was radioactive steam.” Then he reached out both hands, the physical manifestation of his transformative power which appeared to an outside observer as huge atoms with their protons and electrons orbiting nuclei centered on each hand, and emitted twin beams into the steam, changing it into a harmless mist. “Now it’s pine scented air freshener. Hmm…woodsy…with a hint of lavender. Soothing!”

One of the men then shouted, “They’re in the nuclear core. Said they’re going to blow everything sky high!”

“Can you tell us anything about these infiltrators?” Green Lantern asked the men.

The man shook his head. “All I know is they’re freaks…monsters! Get out of here! Get out!” he screamed then turned, grabbed his companion and raced for the exit.

“Well…that sounded ominous,” she noted.

“Maybe so, but I have to say my curiosity is piqued. Let’s go meet these so-called freaks face to face. Before we do that, though, are you protected from the radiation levels in this place?”

She nodded. “The ring can protect me from the radiation emitted by the hottest star even if I was floating near its surface.”

“That works for me! Let’s go!”

Soon, they found their way inside the section of the building where the control room stood sentinel over the nuclear core stored underneath a pool of heavy water. That’s when they came upon a very strange sight.

They saw what appeared to be an adult male with a fedora on his head use a nuclear blast to enlarge a refrigerator from model-size to full-size in a matter of seconds while what appeared to be an adult female dressed in a pink dress that reminded them of something the television mothers on Ozzie & Harriet or Leave It to Beaver had worn occasionally, was hanging a clock on the wall that looked like something that would be right at home in a sixties’ tract house. Meanwhile, what appeared to be a teen-aged boy and girl were moving a pair of arm chairs with the faux leather upholstered look and aluminum legs. They placed the chairs inside a comfortable seating arrangement with a matching couch alongside a shag rug while what appeared to be a young boy and his dog used their own nuclear rays to enlarge a coffee table and an old-style color TV from toy-size to full-size right before the heroes’ very eyes.

Then the adult male finally noticed their presence and he stared at them from his seat on the couch, his form cloaked in the shadows. “Well…howdy doody, Green Lady, youngster!”

“Welcome to our happy home!” the adult female exclaimed. Even though her greeting was friendly, her glowing green eyes and smile rattled Ronnie.

“Um…thank you for your warm welcome,” the Green Lantern said, the confusion in her voice plain as day to Firestorm.

He was just as confused as she. The domestic scene facing them was totally unexpected considering the frightened claims of the fleeing guys in the radiation suits. “Who are you folks exactly?” he asked.

The man stood up and said, “You can call me Dad.” Then he placed his left arm around the woman’s shoulder and drew her close to his side in such a tender and loving way, even Ronnie was moved. “And this gorgeous gal right here is Mom! Quite the looker, huh?”

“Oh you!” the woman gently chastised the man but Ronnie could tell she’d appreciated the man’s complete devotion to her. “He’s terrible!” Then she shot a look toward the teens and said, “These are the twins, Biff and Sis.”

“Wow,” the young man whispered loudly. “It’s the Green Lantern! Man you’re even hotter in person than you are on TV!”

Both Ronnie and Professor Stein couldn’t agree more with the young man when the boy’s twin sister moved close to her father, wrapped her thin arms around Dad’s disturbingly buff right forearm and cooed, “Do you know who he is? He’s Firestorm the Nuclear Man! I’ve seen him on TV, too. He’s dreamy!”

“Gotcha!”

A surprised Firestorm glanced down to find that both the little boy and his dog had snuck up on him and had a hold of each leg.

“And that’s Brat and Dog,” Mom said.

“Dear God,” Green Lantern murmured lowly. “Look at the dog’s back!”

He did as his comrade had directed then gawked at the area on the canine’s back where a patch of the dog’s fur was missing, revealing a metallic exoskeleton similar to the Terminator's in those old movies made by the former governor of California.

After the kid and the dog had released him, they returned to their family’s place in front of the couch. Then the adult male announced, “Together, we’re the Nuclear Family!”

Still shaken by the dog’s appearance, apparently both the Lantern and he had been thrown a little off their game because they didn’t seem to realize how very wrong their current situation was. “Okay, that’s nice and all, but you folks can’t be here. The core is very unstable and unless the Lantern and I can repair it, we’re talking maximum wipe-out!”

“Firestorm is right, Mom, isn’t it?” Green Lantern directed her question to the other woman. “I’m certain you don’t want to jeopardize your family’s safety.”

“Oh, we’re in no danger here, Green Lady, but I appreciate your concern for my kids and us,” Mom said while the six family members stepped out from the shadows into the light where the Lantern and Firestorm could see some of the artificial skin had been ripped away to reveal glimpses of the exoskeletons of their skulls.

In that moment, Ronnie felt another presence had joined the multiplex he shared with Professor Stein.   _“Firestorm, it’s me, Green Lantern. I used my ring to link our minds so we can talk without risking the chance those…things can overhear us.  However, something’s wrong! I can’t move!”_

_“Green Lantern,” Stein said, “I believe your consciousness has been absorbed into our multiplex and it’s unable to control your body because it’s no longer…well…there. I think if Ronald separates our bodies, the conversion will release your consciousness, as well. Meanwhile, while you’re here, you both need to listen to me. These androids are very dangerous!”_

“Prof,” Ronnie asked his mentor. “What are you saying? Do you mean they’re robots like that Data guy from STNG?”

Suddenly, Mom gasped as if she’d been slapped in the face. Then she dropped the drinking glass that she’d held in her hand, causing it to shatter on the concrete floor.

A completely disgusted-looking Brat then growled, “He said the ‘R’ word, Mom. Very naughty!”

Apparently, a flustered Mom decided to use the situation as a teaching moment. “Young man, we prefer you use the term ‘Automated Americans,’ if you please!”

“Show some sensitivity, dude,” Biff counseled.

An annoyed Dad now turned to his daughter and said, “I think our young friend here needs a lesson in manners.”

“Yes, Dad.”

In the meantime, inside Ronnie’s head, a concerned Green Lantern muttered, _“Oh, I absolutely do not like the sound of that.”_

Stein agreed with her. _“Ronald, I think you should listen to Lena.”_

The unknown name served to distract the young hero’s attention away from the approaching Sis. “Lena? Who in the heck is Lena, Prof?”

Stein sighed heavily inside Ronnie’s head. _“Ronald, the Green Lantern is Lena Luthor, the CEO of L-Corp. Ms. Luthor, I’m Professor Martin Stein and we’re inside the bright mind, even though he goes out of his way to hide it, of one of my physics students at my university, Ronald Raymond. I just want to assure you that you have nothing to fear from us, Ms. Luthor. Ronald has integrity second to none and I am a man of honor. We both swear your secret identity is safe with us.”_

She smiled. _“Well, considering that my personal assistant has known my secret for weeks without my being aware of the fact, maybe I need to stop teasing Supergirl about her supposedly lame disguise.”_

By then the teen-aged girl stood before Ronnie and drawled “Sweet dreams,” right before her eyes and mouth opened wide and emitted a blast wave with enough force to send Firestorm flying out through the roof.

#

_“Lena…Ronald…rise and shine.”_

“I always shine,” a groggy Ronnie complained as he pushed his aching body up from the floor before he offered a helping hand to a recently-returned to consciousness Green Lantern.

As she shook her head to clear the cobwebs, she glanced at their surroundings and noticed both that they weren’t inside the power plant and her mind had apparently returned to her body. “Hold on a minute! Where in the hell is the reactor room?”

“We’re not there at the moment, Lena. We’re inside a memory of mine,” Stein explained, his full body present in this place, too. “We don’t just share a body in the multiplex; we also share combined mental images.”

Ronnie noticed they were in a bunker with two military men in uniforms he didn’t recognize along with a bald man in a white lab coat who looked freakishly like Patrick Stewart as the actor had appeared in the X-Men movies. “Prof, who are these people and why don’t they see us?” he asked as he waved a hand in front of the bald guy’s eyes.

“They can’t see or hear us, Ronald, because this is merely a memory. We’re at a nuclear bomb test conducted back in 1979 by Eric Shaner for Israel on a deserted South Atlantic island. The Israelis were dead set on developing a nuclear arsenal to protect themselves from their hostile Arab neighbors and Shaner wanted to persuade their leaders to turn away from that course of action. He created the Nuclear Family to show the leaders the effect of their weapons on ordinary people.”

The next thing the trio saw was Shaner detonating the weapon while the androids appeared to be enjoying a typical family barbecue. As the blast wave engulfed the unsuspecting androids, Stein ominously said, “Only he built the androids too well.”

Instead of being vaporized in the blast, the Nuclear Family had survived it with only minor damage to their outer artificial epidermi.

“That’s…that’s unbelievable,” Lena stammered. “How could they survive the blast?”

“The bomb wasn’t a thermonuclear warhead, Ms. Luthor. It was a neutron warhead. The Israelis couldn’t use a fusion or fission bomb because if they detonated those weapons against one of their neighbors, the fallout would affect their nation, as well. Neutron bombs, though, are designed to not be that destructive to vehicles or buildings. However, the neutron radiation would kill all the people, leave most of the buildings intact and do it all without resulting in any significant fallout.”

Both Lena and Ronnie grimaced and gave Stein looks filled with disappointment. “You were at this test because you worked on projects like it, am I right, Prof?”

The professor gazed shamefully down at the bunker’s floor. “I’m afraid so, Ronald. However, after that test, I'd turned away from working on any more weapons of mass destruction, particularly after I'd learned the androids had escaped from the test site. Shaner had been quite careless about how he’d constructed and programmed them. It seems he'd stolen plans from the leading expert in artificial intelligence, Dr. Will Magnus. Magnus had invented the potentiaometer, the device that Magnus had employed to create the Metal Men, sentient robots with metahuman powers and distinct personalities. The device had allowed the Nuclear Family to absorb the neutron radiation which had given them their incredible powers of flight and the ability to emit radiation in various forms. Ever since that test, they’ve been at large.”

“Okay then,” Ronnie said, “we need to get out of here and deal with those ‘bots.”

“Well, I would agree except for the fact that our physical form was knocked unconscious and it’s been out cold for at least the last half hour or so. Therefore, I deduce that both Lena and you are their prisoner.”

#

Seconds later, Firestorm opened his eyes to find both Green Lantern and he were encased in carbon restraints that had completely imprisoned their arms and legs and were being lowered into the pool’s heavy water. As he fruitlessly struggled inside the containment unit, he whined, “Geez, Prof! For once, can’t you be wrong?!”

Once more the disembodied head in Ronnie’s consciousness, Stein smirked. _“Not a chance, Ronald.”_

Just then a beach ball struck Firestorm full in the face. “Ow!”

As Brat laughed at the imprisoned hero after kicking the ball at him, Dad, now dressed in a pair of conservative swimming trunks still, though, with his fedora on his head, addressed him. “Hey, Sparky! Nothing like a good old-fashioned pool party, am I right?”

“Dad,” Firestorm asked the android, “why are you doing this? Don’t you realize that hundreds of thousands of innocent people will get sick and die if this plant suffers a meltdown?”

A sad look appeared on the android’s face then. “Well…it may get…a little toasty…for the folks outside, Sparky, but we just want a place where we can live in peace and be left alone.”

“For years, we’ve been living on the run, looking over our shoulder for those bad military people who were trying to hunt us down,” Mom said. She was dressed in a very flattering yellow one piece bathing suit that showed off her very attractive form. Stein, Ronnie and Lena all had to admit the woman was truly lovely despite the fact she was an android. “We squatted in hazardous waste dumps and fallout shelters, dreaming of finding a home for ourselves,” the artificial woman lamented.

It was at that precise moment both the professor and Ronnie had realized that Lena Luthor had expressed her admiration for Mom’s form the same as both men had!

Putting aside how very hot that tidbit of information was, Ronnie continued trying to persuade the androids to stop the core from melting down. “I’m really sorry about all of the hassles you’ve gone through, Mom, but if you do this, you’ll be guilty of driving all of those innocent people from their homes, too. Is that what you want?”

“Of course not!” she admitted. “However, this is the only way my family can share the American dream. I’m sorry, Firestorm, but we’re tired of running.”

“So, just sit back and watch the fireworks!” Brat declared.

“There will be no fireworks! Not if I can help it,” Firestorm snapped. However, when he tried to activate his fusion power, it simply shorted out.

“Prof,” the young man gasped. “What’s happening?”

 _“It seems,”_ the professor’s talking head explained along with producing a visual aid that showed Ronnie’s body trapped inside the carbon encasement and the interaction the trap had established with the pool’s fuel rods, _“the androids have connected us to the main reactor. The more you struggle the more power the reactor absorbs from us. We can break free, though, if we somehow manage to supercharge the pool rods.”_

 _“I might be able to do it with my ring,”_ Lena declared inside their link. In his mind’s eye, Ronnie saw the determined woman reach out with her disembodied mind to activate the ring on her body’s finger.

He watched as sweat dripped down her disembodied head’s brow while she struggled mightily to do the impossible. Just as he was about to give up all hope, a glorious emerald beam of power shattered the casing around Lena’s body and electrified the grate at the bottom of the pool, supercharging the fuel rods.

As the power flowed through his body, the Nuclear Man grinned and yelled at the top of his lungs, “Way to go, GL!” Then he initiated a controlled fission blast that blew his encasement apart, separated both him and the professor for a nanosecond, allowing Lena’s consciousness to escape the multiplex and return to its body, and knocked all the androids away from the edge of the pool onto their asses. Then he re-initiated the fusion process to bring both the professor and himself back together in the form of Firestorm.

Now the androids faced two angry heroes, causing Biff to ask his father, “Dad, what should we do?”

“Well, I didn’t want it to come to this but…spank them!”

“I don’t think so, ‘Dad!’” a very irate Green Lantern spat. “The only people here who need to be disciplined are you ‘Automated Americans!’”

Then before Sis could even respond with one of her blast waves, the Lantern used her ring on several carbon dampening rods that had been placed in a corner of the large room and converted them into blinders, a gag, and a set of restraints. Then her ring’s energy transported them over the teen-aged girl’s mouth, eyes and hands, completely nullifying her power.

At that point, the teen-aged boy and Mom began to use their powers against Firestorm but not before he’d erected a force bubble that protected him from their onslaught. Then Dad joined in the fun by firing his energy at Firestorm while he instructed his wife, “Honey? While we’re taking care of Sparky and the Green Lady, why don’t you use your EMP blast on the control room console and blow the core?”

The artificial woman smiled at her husband and ceased firing on Firestorm. Then she sashayed over to Dad, lifted up on her tippy-toes and planted a kiss on her husband’s cheek.  “Okay, honey. Just watch me cook!”

“That’s not going to happen, lady!” the Green Lantern vowed. “Anything you cook will only lead to heartburn for thousands of innocent people!” Then Lena created an elaborate energy construct that formed a restraint around Mom’s waist that had bands that shackled both of the woman’s hands above her head and her feet below.

“Good heavens!” Mom exclaimed while the unstable construct sent the android toppling down to the floor.

Meanwhile, Biff fired one of his thermal pulses at Ronnie and bragged, “My power makes my beams hotter than a nuclear reactor. In other words, the heat is ON!”

“Uh!” Now a wincing Firestorm addressed Stein, “God, it sounds so lame when he says it, am I right, Prof?” Not waiting for the professor’s response, the hero opened a hole in his shield and stuck his left hand through it. Then he began to draw Biff’s power into his own body. “Hey, dude! No need to fight your power when I can ABSORB it!”

As Biff fell to his knees, completely drained, Brat screamed, “You leave my brother alone!” Then he and Dog fired their own energy beams at Firestorm.

“You’re next, small fry!” the Nuclear Man said. Then he opened another portal in his shield and used his right hand to drain both the kid and the mutt.

“That’s just about enough of that, Sparky!” Dad declared as he rushed forward to attack Firestorm. However, before he could take two steps, he was forcefully met by a huge emerald energy construct fist that struck him so hard it sent him flying into a steel wall.

“Oh, and ‘Dad,’” Lena drawled. “The name is Green Lantern!”

As the adult male android struggled to recover from Lena’s mighty blow, Firestorm simply glared at the pool with nuclear fire streaming from his eyes and in the blink of an eye, a pair of giant arms and hands constructed of heavy water flowed from the pool to sweep up all six androids in a restraint that completely dampened their nuclear powers.

Then the Nuclear Man calmly paced toward his prisoners with his hands clasped behind his back. “You know, since your powers are so similar to mine, I kind of feel like we’re all related. In that case, you know what I’m in the mood for? Group hug!”

Suddenly he embraced them and his body began to glow with all the awesome power at his command. Automatically, Green Lantern’s ring raised a powerful force field around her to protect her from the fury of Firestorm.

Moments later, there was a huge flash. Then Firestorm stood there in the room, the super-sized atoms once again orbiting his hands, with only Lena left standing by his side.

“Did you destroy the androids?” she asked.

He glanced at her with a sheepish look. It was then she noticed he held a dish covered by a glass dome in his hands. “Nah, I didn’t have the heart to do it. In the end, they were just looking for a place to call home. So, I gave them one. I simply shrunk them down to ant-size and created a house of their very own on a large piece of property where no one will ever find them.”

She nodded in agreement with his decision then smiled at the young man. “Brave, bold…and compassionate. I’m impressed, Firestorm!”

“Thanks!”

“Ronnie, Professor Stein…Batman and I are building a team of superheroes to deal with threats that are too big for one of us to handle. Would you like to join us?”

“Wow! You mean work with Supergirl, Batman and you?! That would be awesome!” Then he turned to his mind’s eye to address Stein. “What do you say, Prof?”

_“Well, Ronald, what can I say but…the heat is ON.”_

Ronnie grinned and exclaimed, “Yeah! That’s the spirit, Prof!”

#

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Nuclear Family was created by the great _Batman_ and _Aquaman_ artist, Jim Aparo and the writer Mike Barr for two issues in the comic book _Batman and the Outsiders_. "The Brave and the Bold" is further homage to Mr. Aparo, who was, for quite a time, the lead artist on a title that early on became a Batman team-up book. Finally, Firestorm created by Gerry Conway and Al Milgrom.
> 
> Thanks for reading this story! Reviews, critiques or comments are welcome!


	21. Rise and Resist Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We finally learn about the rift between Jesse and her mother, Liberty Belle, and see if the dynamic mother/daughter team can resolve it!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We also get to meet a new hero who is not from the DC universe but we're going to have him join in on the fun in this alternate universe!

**New York City, Fifth Avenue**

**1301 Local Time**

“Will this table do, ladies?” the Maître D asked.

Lena Luthor flashed a brilliant smile at the man. “Yes, thank you. This will do nicely.”

He smiled at them and gallantly seated the Luthor and her friend, Jesse Chambers, before he left to fetch the waitperson for them.

Now Lena frowned when she noticed the look on Jesse’s face appeared to be that of a death row inmate awaiting her last meal rather than that of a person looking forward to a reunion with her mother after spending more than a year apart. She was going to prod her friend to tell her what was going on when they both were distracted by the hustle and bustle of people carrying posters and signs rushing along Fifth Avenue toward one of the parks nearby.

“Where are they going?” Jesse asked.

“I hear there’s a protest near that building owned by that misogynist, you know, that guy who hosts that stupid fake business show on TV.”

“You mean the one who wants to run as a Republican against President Marsdin in 2020?”

Lena nodded. “That’s the one. It seems the idiot got himself into a lot of hot water with people from both political parties for failing to forcefully denounce those Neo Nazis and White Supremacists who reacted violently to the counter-protesters at one of their demonstrations in Virginia a few days ago.”

“That’s right! Didn’t that ass say, ‘there were good people on both sides?’”

Lena snorted. “Yeah! Right! Like there’s such a thing as a ‘good Nazi.’”

Jesse chuckled along with her friend. “Or a ‘good White Supremacist.’”

Lena then smiled. “I’m glad we were able to bring a little levity to brighten your day despite the fact it was due to an idiot’s comments.” Jesse then responded by staring down at the surface of their table. A concerned Lena Luthor now said, “Won’t you tell me why you wanted me to be here as a buffer between you and your mother?”

A shameful expression clouded Jesse’s lovely face at that moment. “I’m afraid to tell you about it, Lena.”

Lena was gob smacked. She’d seen this woman face down a murderous super speedster and armed Cadmus men with a lioness’ fearlessness. “Jesse,” she said, reaching across the table to clasp her friend’s hand. “It’s me. You can tell me anything. I’d never hold anything you told me against you.”

The blonde sighed deeply. “All right then. When we were in school, do you remember when I'd told you my parents had divorced when I was younger?”

She nodded. “You told me your mom had left your dad.”

“Yeah. My mom was a straight journalist during the war and for a time after. My dad, though, was a more flamboyant character. He was actually a guy who was ahead of his time. He really bought into President Kennedy’s ‘New Frontier.’ He believed that mankind had the power to push past its limitations to become exceptional. He created our company, Quickstart, as a public relations firm that also sold products and information on how anyone could push themselves to be a better, stronger person. He turned out to be a better huckster than that infomercial guy, Billie Mays, was. However, his philosophy was a turn-off for my mom. She got tired of it and left us when I was fourteen. Shortly after she left home, they got a divorce. I…I guess I never forgave her for breaking dad’s heart and splitting up our family. So, after college, I joined my dad’s company and mom saw that as me choosing him over her.”

“That must have been a difficult time for you, Jesse.”

Her friend laughed mirthlessly. “Maybe so, but it doesn’t compare to the pain I put her through when I betrayed her.”

Lena blinked thrice at that. “Jesse, what are you saying?”

The other woman actually whimpered and hearing that sound almost caused Lena to leap up from her chair to embrace her friend in a warm hug. “A year ago, my mom got engaged to a man who was only a few years older than me. His name was Philip Geyer. A month or so after she’d introduced me to him, he came by my office and asked me out to lunch to get to know me better. I agreed to go with him. That day he came onto me.”

“He didn’t!”

Jesse nodded sullenly. “I’m afraid so. At first, I rebuffed him but he wouldn’t stop, Lena! One night, he came to the house I used to have and told me he’d fallen in love with me the first time he’d laid eyes on me and even though he was engaged to my mother, he could no longer live a lie. He swore to me he would break off the engagement in a way that would let her down gently and then…he kissed me.”

“Oh, Jesse…”

The blonde reacted as if she hadn’t heard Lena’s gentle admonishment. “I knew it was wrong. I should have pushed him away. I suppose a part of me wanted to ruin her happiness, to punish her for how badly she’d hurt my dad and me when she’d left us.”

Jesse paused then and glanced at Lena. The Luthor hoped that her expression showed she was not sitting in judgment of her guilt-ridden friend.

After taking a sip of water from her glass, Jesse continued her tale. “Anyway, what neither my mom nor I had known at the time was the fact Phil was a con-man. He’d intended to marry my mom so he could have access to her bank accounts and rob her blind. As for me, he intended to blackmail me so I’d give him money to keep him from revealing our affair to my mom and the press. If he’d gone public with what I’d done, my business reputation and my relationship with my mother would’ve been ruined! However, it all went to hell in a hand basket anyway when someone murdered Phil and left his body in my bed!”

“That’s horrible! Did the authorities suspect you?”

“I think most of them thought I'd done it. Fortunately, a Detective Beckett, the primary investigator for the NYPD at the time, didn’t think I’d be foolish enough to kill a man and leave him in my own bed. The detective is married to a crime fiction writer who has some connection to the Batman. The Batman investigated the crime scene and found that all of the windows and doors into the house were locked. There was no way anyone could get inside unless they were a ghost. So the Batman brought an old comrade of my dad and mom onto the case because he suspected the killer was from the supernatural realm. The Dark Knight consulted with Dr. Fate and Fate told him that only the Spectre, Captain Triumph or Fate, himself, could have committed the crime.”

“Jesse, my knowledge of the mystery men of World War II is nowhere close to yours. Can you tell me more about these men?”

The look of fright on Jesse’s face made Lena’s skin crawl. “The less you know about these _beings_ , Lena, the better off you’ll be, trust me on this. Look, Batman is scary for a human being but he’s got nothing on either the Spectre or Fate.  Dr. Fate, according to my folks, is the embodiment of a mystical Lord of Order.  They’re ancient, powerful aliens who’ve been among us for millennia. As for the Spectre, he’s kind of like an Angel of Death. Don't go looking for him to join our little club, understand? From what my folks had told me, he's even more powerful than Fate and I'm fairly certain Fate could handle either Kara or you. The Spectre is unstoppable except by one who possesses the Spear of Destiny. According to legend, whoever wields the spear could control the Spectre.”

Lena wanted to scoff at these tales of supernatural entities that had been operating, virtually unseen, for nearly seventy years or so. However, considering her ring’s abilities and the fact she’d encountered a fifth dimensional being who would be considered, by most people, a supernatural entity, as well as having battled sentient androids, made her hold her powder. “All right, Jesse. How about this Captain Triumph fellow?”

Jesse took another sip of water before she continued. “His name is Lance Gallant. He had a twin brother named Michael who had been murdered by Nazi saboteurs during the early stages of the war. According to Dr. Fate, to avenge Michael’s death, some supernatural busy-bodies linked Michael’s spirit with his brother's psyche, giving Lance super strength, invulnerability not as good as Kara’s but decent for the time, the ability to allow Michael’s spirit to roam about and report back to Lance on anything the spirit had seen, and the power to alter his physical appearance, size or shape.”

“After the Korean War had ended, Lance had gradually withdrawn from the mystery man life and allowed his link to Michael to grow inactive. Although he'd been close to my Dad, when my parents had separated, he’d remained my mom's good friend and she'd told him about her relationship with Phil. Unfortunately, according to Dr. Fate, the decades of inactivity of Lance’s link to Michael had driven the spirit insane. When Michael had found out about Phil’s betrayal of my mother, he'd caused Lance to use his powers to alter his size to enter my home and confront Phil, who'd let himself into my house with a key I'd given him. Then Michael took control of his brother’s body and killed the bastard. I guess Michael had wanted to punish me a little, too. That’s why he'd left Phil’s body in my bed.”

“Dear God in heaven!” Lena muttered.

“I know. I never thought my life would turn into an extreme version of that Poltergeist movie. Fortunately for me, Dr. Fate was able to perform an exorcism that separated Michael’s spirit from Lance and banished it to the afterlife. After that, a broken Lance, guilt-ridden by the fact that Michael had made him commit murder, confessed to the crime. Detective Beckett arrested him, though, he’ll probably never go on trial for Phil’s murder. I suspect the Batman pulled some strings to have Lance committed to Arkham Asylum in the hopes that some treatment would help Lance return to the man he’d been before. However, when my mom found out about Phil and me, she was so furious with me she didn’t utter a single word; she just punched me in the jaw so hard she sent me flying through the wall of my home.”

“Jesse, no!” Lena had to fight down the ember of anger that had begun to grow in the pit of her stomach in regard to Ms. Lawrence’s actions against her daughter. Although the woman’s anger and disappointment in Jesse was understandable, that still didn’t justify the use of force against a family member.

“Lena…she had every right to lash out at me. You know, I should have stayed and let her beat the hell out of me. The Speed Force would have healed my wounds eventually. But…I…I just couldn’t face her…see the hatred in her eyes. So, I ran off at super speed. For months, I've avoided her like the plague. Then I thought if I could hone my speed, become a better hero like she’d been, maybe I could begin to make it up to her for the terrible thing I’d done.”

“No, Jesse. Your mother has super strength. If she’d hit you in the wrong place with too much force, she could have killed you. If she’d broken your neck, you’d be dead and your mother a murderess. The Speed Force wouldn’t have helped either of you if that had come to pass.”

Lena’s observation, though, did nothing to alleviate her friend’s guilt. Noticing this fact, the Luthor sighed. “So, you want me here to make certain the discussion between your mother and you doesn’t take a turn for the worse, am I right?”

Jesse nodded sorrowfully.

“Okay. Then that’s exactly what I’m here to do.”

The blonde now looked up and Lena smiled gently.

“Thank you, Lena.”

The Luthor gave her friend an elegant nod of her head just before she spied the approach of Jesse’s mother in the company of a tall, muscular, very handsome man of African descent. She motioned with a glance toward the couple and Jesse chanced a glimpse in that direction.

Then the speedster gasped loudly and sputtered, “W-why the hell is Hancock here with my mom?!”

 #

“John,” Libby Lawrence whispered, “what if she only came back to the city to tell me she wants me completely out of her life?”

The dark-skinned hero sighed heavily. Sensitivity had never been his strong suit. Yet, Libby was an old friend from one of the few times during the past ninety years where he’d actually given a damn about something important. He’d served with Johnny and her on the All Star Squadron during World War II and they were among the few mystery men who, despite his outward appearance as a black human, had always treated him with both dignity and respect.

“Lib, the girl’s Johnny’s and your kid. I’d put good money down she’s probably just as fair-minded as her parents were to me.”

She gave him a sad smile. “Thank you for that, John.” Then the smile ran away from her face. “I-I’d never, ever had struck her before. I’d never even given her a swat on the behind when she was a toddler! But she’d hurt me so badly…John…I simply lost control.” Then she shook her head as if she was trying to shake a terrible image from her mind’s eye. “I punched her so hard I sent her flying through an exterior wall! For a second, she just laid where she’d fallen and I almost fainted. I couldn’t believe I had hit her like that. John…she was lying there so still at first I thought I’d killed her. I wanted to die then and there. Then I heard her moan.” She regarded him now with a haunted look in her eyes.  “I raced to her side, wanting to help her and beg her forgiveness but by the time I made it outside, she was already gone. She’d used the speed she’d inherited from her father to flee from me...her own mother. Yeah," she snorted, "the mother she'd probably thought had done her best to kill her own daughter. Oh, John, my little girl must have been so lost, so hurt and that bastard, Philip, may he rot in hell forever, had used her terribly. Yet, I didn’t try and figure out what had caused her to want to lash out at me like that. I was so deeply hurt, all I could see was her betrayal and I just snapped.”

In response, Hancock nodded slowly in an attempt, he hoped, to demonstrate he felt some empathy for his old friend’s plight. In a way, he knew what she’d gone through. A decade ago, Mary, his bondmate, had told him how his inability to recognize her after waking up in the hospital from the terrible beating that had stolen his memory had broken her heart. That had led her to conclude she had to leave him to keep him safe. Yes, he understood the guilt anyone feels when they learn they’ve harmed someone they love.

As they continued strolling arm-in-arm down the boulevard, Libby glanced up at him. “John, I don’t know if I could live with myself if Jesse decides she can’t forgive me for what I’ve done.”

“Lib…she’s your kid.  The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. You’re a good person and she's probably decent like Johnny was and you are. I’m sure she’ll give you the chance to make things right.”

Soon, they approached an outside café of a fairly ritzy restaurant just off of Fifth Avenue. Among the dozen or so patrons seated at the tables, he noticed a blonde who was the spitting image of Libby in her glory days sitting with a pale beauty with a jaw-line sharp enough to cut glass and dark hair gathered in an elegant pony-tail.

“John,” Libby whispered. “That’s Jesse!” she told him with tears in her eyes. “Isn’t she beautiful?”

“That she is, Lib. She definitely takes after your side of the family, fortunately for her,” he teased.

In response she gave him a saucy smirk. “Whatever Johnny’s faults may have been, John, his looks weren’t one of them. My ex-husband was a beautiful man!”

He grinned. “Now there’s the confident hero who thought nothing of spitting in Hitler’s eye! Ready to go have a sit down with your daughter and her friend?”

His companion inhaled deeply then exhaled slowly.  “I’m ready.”

“All right then. Let’s do this,” he said.

#

As the elder couple approached their table both Jesse and Lena rose to greet them. “Ms. Lawrence, I’m not certain if you remember me but I’m Lena Luthor. Jesse and I were roommates at boarding school.”

The elder blonde gave her a friendly smile but it was dimmed by the fatigue that was plainly evident on her face. “Of course, I remember you, Lena. Thank you for accompanying my daughter to see me.” Then the elder woman turned to Jesse and probed gently, “How are you, honey?”

The stunned speedster regarded her mother warily. “I’m fine, mother.”

“I’m glad to hear that and I am so happy you agreed to see me. Oh, I brought along one of your father’s and my old colleagues from our ‘mystery men’ days. John Hancock, may I introduce you to my daughter, Jesse Chambers, and her friend, Lena Luthor?”

The handsome man gave them both a thin smile.  “It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”

After the younger women had reciprocated his greeting, Ms. Lawrence took the seat next to Jesse and across from Lena while Hancock sat in the seat across from the speedster.

Before either Hancock or Lena could initiate any small talk, Libby turned to Jesse and blurted, “Jesse, I know you probably hate me right now but please hear me out. Baby, I’m so very sorry for hitting you. I wish I could take it all back, I wish I had never lashed out at you. It never should have happened and I hope, one day, you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”

Libby’s daughter’s eyes opened wide at her mother’s words. “Mom, you don’t owe me an apology. I’m the one who acted horribly toward you! I’m so sorry for what I've done, Mom. There’s no excuse for my behavior. I’m also sorry about what happened to Philip.”

Tears were now tracking down Libby’s face. “Honey, I think I understand how much I hurt you when I left your dad and...you. I think, in a way, you tried to make me feel the pain I’d caused you. Jesse, sweetheart, please believe me. I never intended to break your heart. I didn’t think the problems between your father and me would affect _our_ relationship. Unfortunately it took this thing with Philip to remove the scales from my eyes.”

Now Libby reached out gently and took Jesse’s hand in hers. “When the All Star Squadron had been exposed to the shadow energies that had been unleashed after Dr. Fate's old foe, Ian Karkull, had died, we had no idea the radiation would extend our vitality and our lives. In fact, we were all concerned that the energy may have made us all infertile. Your father and I tried for many years to have a child and when you were born only a few days before Christmas of 1979, I can safely say both your father and I have and always will say you are the best Christmas gift we’ve ever received in our lives.”

Apparently, for Jesse, that was when the dam burst. With tears streaming down her face she hugged her mother as if she was holding on to dear life itself. “Mom, I’m so sorry! I'm so sorry! I love you, mom! I love you!”

Lena could almost see the glow of contentment on Libby’s face as she cradled her weeping daughter in her arms. “I'm so sorry for how I've wronged you, my darling. Jesse...you are the light of my life!”

In the meantime, even though Lena was touched by the tender reconciliation between Libby and Jesse, she suspected the tearful reunion was somewhat awkward for a man like Hancock. She'd heard a little about him from her brother, Lex, ten years ago. At first, Lex had thought the man was a Kryptonian like Clark. After further research, though, Lex didn’t know what to think other than Hancock couldn't possibly be Kryptonian, particularly when he demonstrated the ability to create localized weather disturbances and to fly unprotected without any life support through outer space and land on the surface of the Moon!

Just as she was about to suggest to Hancock that they should leave their companions for a bit to give them some privacy, the sound from a nearby explosion caused all of the café’s patrons to look toward the park where the city had given a permit for the protesters to assemble.

#

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hancock is from the 2008 movie "Hancock." You can see his history and power set on Wikipedia.
> 
> Thanks for reading this story! Reviews, critiques or comments are welcome!


	22. Rise and Resist Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hancock, Lena, Jesse and Libby face off against some very dangerous foes while Kara speeds to the Big Apple to save Lena from a villain who's almost as invincible as Supergirl!

They heard the screams of a host of people and witnessed black oily smoke rising into the cloudless blue sky. Then they saw many of the protesters flee from the park. 

Now a grim Hancock announced, "You ladies stay here! I'll go see what in the hell is going on!" Suddenly, the man unzipped his wind breaker and revealed a leather body suit, black with yellow trim and a stylized eagle on the area covering Hancock's chest.

"Not on your life, John!" Libby Lawrence snapped before she shrugged off her overcoat and her sensible blouse to uncover the pale blue tunic with the symbol of the Liberty Bell on its front. Then she reached inside one of the pockets of her riding britches, withdrew a black domino mask and slipped it on her face. "I'm coming with you!"

"Mom, I thought you retired from this life!" Jesse exclaimed while she changed out of her civilian clothing into her Jesse Quick costume in the blink of an eye.

"Maybe so, but I'm not letting an old friend and my baby girl charge into battle without me!"

The speedster sighed. She knew her mother wouldn't back down from a challenge once she'd set her mind to it. Now she turned to Lena, knowing her friend needed to change out of the glare of the public eye. "Lena, you should probably go inside the restaurant and keep out of harm's way."

"Will do, Jesse. Be careful, all of you!" the brunette shouted before she turned and ran as fast as her high heeled pumps could carry her inside the building.

Moments later, Hancock took flight while Jesse kept her speed down so her mother could keep pace. When the trio reached the park's entrance, they saw a police cruiser lying on top of its roof as flames erupted from the destroyed gas tank on its underside. Near the overturned vehicle, they spied the charred bodies of a pair of uniformed police officers on the ground. Several meters to the right of the vehicle as they faced it, stood a giant of a man with a muscular form that would have been right at home in the Mr. Universe contest. The man was undressed from the waist up but that factor failed to reveal any flesh whatsoever. Instead, his body appeared to be made entirely of a stainless steel-like alloy! On the ground next to the man's brown trouser covered legs knelt the form of a young woman who was as still as a statue and encased in the same alloy that covered the giant man’s body. A few meters behind the hulking man stood a guy clothed in a light blue costume that had a cowl that covered most of his face. The masked man hefted a huge double edged axe and both blades crackled with electrical energy.

To the axe-man's left, the heroes spied a fairly tall figure encased inside a gleaming white suit of armor with red trim on its chest plate and both gauntlets. The gauntlets were ringed with collars that glowed from the radiant heat Jesse could feel even though she was standing more than ten meters away from him. Finally, hovering overhead, she saw a muscular blonde man with a crew cut, who was dressed in a charcoal gray uniform trimmed with black patent leather boots, white gloves and a white circle on his chest with a red swastika inside of it.

"Captain Nazi!" her mother spat at the sight of the caped man.

Now the scar-faced villain turned toward them and sneered. "Mein eyes must surely deceive me! Liberty Belle herself! Und here I feared I would die of boredom from slaughtering these sheep who dared protest the glorious message our American brethren have offered to this decadent nation. Perhaps you shall provide more of a challenge, Frau Chambers?"

"Oh you can bet your last deutschmark on that, Captain! Tell us, who are your new playmates?" Jesse snapped at the man.

"Ah," he stared at her with lascivious eyes that almost made her gag. "You must be Fraulein Chambers! Although you're wearing a costume similar to that worn by your accursed father, you are just as beautiful as your mother. As a favor to you both, I shall introduce you to my comrades. The rather large gentleman is Reichsmark. As you can see, a single touch of his hand can change flesh into un-living metal. The man with the axe is called Hunter. He can track anyone or anything alive. The gentleman in the suit of armor is the White Dragon. He wields the flames of Tartarus itself. So, you see, fraulein, nothing can stand against us!"

"We'll see about that, big man," Hancock growled.

The Captain snorted. "And who are you to address your superiors without our permission to do so, mongrel?"

Suddenly, when a sexy woman's voice with a hint of an Irish lilt to it sounded from the sky above, Jesse smiled. "His name is Hancock, you monster. And, for your edification, I'm the Green Lantern. Do try hard to retain this information even after we inflict some serious head trauma on you all because I don’t like to repeat myself."

The fascist shot a furious glare at the Emerald Gladiator then. "No woman speaks to me like that and lives! Brethren, attack!"

In response to that, Hancock flew toward Captain Nazi like a heat-seeking missile, leaving Lena to fire a green energy blast at Reichsmark that managed to push the giant back into the trunk of a huge tree, hard. Suddenly, Jesse raced toward the White Dragon, deftly dodging twin bursts of red-hot plasma while Libby closed the distance between Hunter and herself.

#

**CATCO Worldwide Media Building**

**40th Floor, 1102 Local Time**

"Kara, hurry! You really need to come and see this!"

The reporter was working in the cozy confines of the office Cat Grant had given her after the woman had promoted her. When she had a backlog of work, Kara would use that office to address it. Nonetheless, she always had her hearing attuned to heed the call from one of her friends or loved ones.

Now she rose from her chair, exited her office, crossed the bullpen, flashing friendly smiles at everyone, before she entered James' fishbowl, Cat's former throne room.

"Hey, what's u--" Kara's voice trailed off to nothingness when she saw Lena nearly get her head torn off by the fist of a stainless steel giant who’d struck her lover's cheek despite the protection provided by Lena's emerald shield on one of the giant TV screens behind Cat's old desk.

"This is on all of the news channels. It’s live from New York City," James murmured. "Maybe you should..."

However, after he shot a glimpse in her direction he didn't bother to finish his thought because Kara was long gone.

#

**New York City**

**Fifth Avenue, Local Time 1352**

"Do you truly believe you can defeat me in glorious combat, mongrel?"

Hancock simply narrowed his eyes at the villain. "If you call me that one more time..."

"It is of no consequence to me to call you exactly what you are, mong--"

Captain Nazi never had the opportunity to finish his taunt because Hancock punched the man so hard he sent the German careening into the hood of another, fortunately, empty police cruiser.

Even after taking such a mighty blow to the face, the villain wasn’t down for the count. Captain Nazi pushed aside the metal that had enfolded his body upon impact and grinned up at Hancock. "Finally! A foe worthy of my magnificent might!" Then the personification of Hitler's mad dream of world conquest launched himself at the dark hero and tackled him around his waist. Moments later, he flung Hancock through a massive tree, instantaneously converting it into kindling. 

Hancock immediately got to his feet and brushed the splinters from his suit.  "Not bad for a goosestepping chump," he drawled. Then before Captain Nazi knew it, Hancock moved almost as fast as Jesse Quick, raced over to a wrecked police car, hefted it over his head and flung it at his airborne foe.

"Ach du leiber!" was all the villain could say before the car struck his body like a runaway comet and cratered him into the clay surface of a softball diamond on the far side of the park.

#

Libby Lawrence tucked and rolled while the sweep of Hunter's axe passed through the air where her torso had been a moment ago. Then she unfurled her body and performed a powerful handspring that landed her onto her well-balanced feet. Now she lifted her left leg and snapped a powerful sidekick that struck the man's hip, causing him to spin from the blow and tumble down to the ground.

Growling now, the Neo-Nazi pressed his back hard against the ground and flipped upward onto his feet. He moved fast and before she could counter him, he thrust the flat part of the head of his axe into her torso and pressed a trigger on the handle that released a charge of electricity through her body. As a result, the bolt of energy sent the woman flying several feet through the air to land in a stunned heap on the ground.

While the stricken hero tried to regain control of her muscles, Belle could only watch as the Hunter approached to deliver the killing blow.

#

"Stand still, why don't cha, you damn woman?!"

 _Not a chance, asshole,_ Jesse Quick mused to herself. The man had been practically firing blind in an attempt to bring her down. However, her speed was just too much for him. On the other hand, his armor was pretty tough and even high velocity punches weren't doing much of anything to affect him. 

She needed to shut this guy down before his plasma bursts burned the whole place down. But how was she going to… do...it."

Then a truly fiendish plan formed inside her fertile little mind and she smiled.

#

Daniel Ducannon, the former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, a/k/a the White Dragon was frustrated as hell by the speedster. Even after his suit's targeting scanners had been upgraded by their benefactor, they still weren’t good enough to obtain a lock on Liberty Belle's little bitch.

So when his scanners finally locked onto a target for a brief moment, it came as a huge surprise to the man.

Then when he witnessed the supremely wicked smile on the momentarily stationary speedster's face, the big-bad white supremacist gulped.

#

"All right," a panting Lena Luthor grumbled. "Not the best idea I've had," she admitted ruefully as she rolled her battered body off of the shattered remnants of a concrete park bench.

Fortunately, the metal man moved so slowly, she had the opportunity to firm up her shields and take flight. She'd been foolish to use her ring to boost her strength to engage the giant in hand-to-hand combat. She'd just been so enraged to see the body of the woman whose life the brute had casually snuffed out. It was as if the woman had meant nothing to him at all. Essentially, to him, the victim was like a bug, simply something to be crushed underfoot. 

Even with the incredible ring she wielded, Lena wasn't a brawler. She was a Luthor. Luthors resorted to brawling only when they might enjoy personally defeating their foes and seeing their battered bodies lying at their feet. Most of the time, particularly with super-powered enemies, Luthors defeated their opponents by using their minds.

So, now, she played for time while she carefully observed her foe, searching for a weakness. She created an energy construct battering ram and slammed it into his chest. She was able to knock him onto his ass for a short time only to see him pick himself up and continue his relentless advance toward her.

Finally, her scientist's eye noticed the continuous heaving of the man's stainless steel chest as he attempted to keep up his running battle with her. 

Now the Luthor’s superb mind formed an effective and efficient plan that brought a sinister smile to Lena’s face that would have made Lillian proud.

#

Supergirl's body had just begun to bleed off the excess heat of reentry when she flattened out her trajectory. She’d just exited the hyperbolic arc she'd taken that had allowed her to race from National City to the skies above the Big Apple in less than twenty minutes. Even though she'd raced along the edge of the upper atmosphere where she could see the curvature of the Earth, at any other time, her altitude would have likely caused her to relive her near death experience in space during the Myriad affair. Right now, though, the only thing on her mind was saving Lena.

Her focus on reaching her girlfriend’s side was so intense, Kara almost missed seeing the rapid approach of emerald glory from the surface of the planet below.

Now Kara saw the love of her life slow her ascent, encased in her ever-present green energy shield while an energy construct clamp trailed behind her, holding fast the metal giant Kara had seen Lena battling on TV.

When she called out to her girlfriend, Lena glanced in her direction and smiled gently. "Darling! I missed you so much! What brings you to this neck of the woods?"

Exasperated, Kara slowly floated toward her dark angel. "You, you courageous idiot! When she floated closer, Lena willed her shield to allow Kara to phase through it. Kara then wrapped her lover in her arms while she choked back her tears. "When I saw him hit you like that on TV, I was so scared, baby."

"I'm so sorry, love. I promise to be more careful next time.  I shouldn't have allowed my anger to get the best of me."

"I'm just glad you're okay." Then she studied the man suspended below them in Lena's construct. "He looks pretty dead to the world to me, babe."

"That was the plan," a pleased Lena noted. "When I realized his metal physiology really wasn't optimized to maintain any stamina, I dragged his metal ass to an altitude of fifty thousand feet, knowing he’d lose consciousness where the air is so thin."

"That was good thinking, Lena!"

"Thank you, love. Say, would you like to escort us back to the battle in the park?"

"I'd be delighted to be your escort anywhere, my lady. Do you want me to take this guy off your hands...so to speak?"

"I don't think that's a good idea, Kara. He’s quite deadly. He killed a woman by simply touching her and turning her into a metal statue."

She hugged Lena close. "'I'm sorry both that you saw what he’d done and for that poor woman. But I’m invulnerable. I don't think his touch will do anything to me."

Lena drew back far enough to allow Kara to see her concerned eyes. "Even so, I'm unwilling to risk your life like that, baby."

Kara smiled warmly. When her bae was frightened on her behalf, all of Lena's formality was tossed out of the nearest window. "You won't have to risk my life, honey, if you place an energy shield around me, too!"

Her love grinned at her. "Now THAT I can do!"

Soon, both women were protected by glowing green shields. Moments later, Kara grabbed the unconscious villain by both arms and drawled, "Let's make like FedEx and deliver this special 'package' to its rightful owner!"

#

Belle knew she had only one chance to survive this and she had no room for error. 

The moment the blade began its descent, she slapped both of her palms together with all the strength and speed at her command. Fortunately, she managed to halt the edge of the blade an inch or so from the bridge of her nose.

Hunter's eyes widened in disbelief at the sight.

That was a deadly mistake on his part.

Now she raised both of her legs and fired a hard mule kick into his gut, separating the villain both from his axe and her by several yards.

Then she tossed the weapon aside, leaped onto her feet and raced toward her gasping foe. A moment later, she nailed him across the jaw with a solid left cross, immediately followed by a vicious right uppercut to his chin that put him down for the count.

Panting heavily, a bit worn out from combat she hadn't engaged in for ages, she reached down and pulled the cowl over the man's head. She found the fairly normal face of a young millennial who could have passed for one of the millions who work in corporate America. Shaking her head in disappointment at a life wasted on hate, she dragged the Neo-Nazi across the lawn by his loosened cowl and retrieved his axe. Then she dragged her unconscious prisoner over to where her daughter was standing and staring at the unusually immobile form of the White Dragon. Jesse appeared to be studying the armored man as if he were a statue on display inside the Met.

"Hi, mom!"

"Hi, yourself, sweetie," Libby said. Then she began to study the armored man just as her daughter had moments ago.  "What did you do to him?"

Jesse grinned. "I used my speed to create enough friction with my hands that when I rubbed them against every joint in his armor, I caused the entire assembly to seize.  So, as long as our mean old White Supremacist is stuck inside that armor, he won't be able to move a muscle."

"I see.  I also noticed that you froze him so if he fired those plasma weapons of his, he'd strike his armor where his, shall we say, private parts happen to be."

"Yep," Jesse said with a pop to the 'p.'

"I always said you were a smart girl."

"Well, the apple doesn't fall far from the maternal tree...Liberty Belle."

Libby gave her daughter a heartfelt smile a moment before she observed two flying figures encased in green energy fields carrying a very limp steel-skinned hulk between them.

"Isn't that Supergirl with your friend Lena, sweetie?"

"Yep."

"What do you think they're going to do with that Reichsmark fellow?"

"I don't know but I'd bet my last dollar whatever they've come up with is going to be spectacular."

#

Hancock grinned.

It was nice to have a chance to finally cut loose.  Usually, most criminals he dealt with were pretty fragile in comparison to Mary and him.

On the one hand, this Captain Nazi guy wasn't really so tough.  Sure, he was fairly strong and somewhat invulnerable, though nowhere near as strong or invulnerable as Superman. One time, about a year after he’d left Los Angeles for New York City, the Man of Steel and he had both been the victims of an unfortunate misunderstanding. After an hour long battle in the desert where no one else could get hurt, that Green Martian guy proved to both Superman and him that Lex Luthor had been the real culprit responsible for the attack on Fort Knox.

After that, Superman and he had become somewhat friendly toward the other except for that one time he'd made a comment about the Kryptonian's cousin being so hot, he'd do her in a heartbeat.

Obviously, he still had a lot of work to do on his social filters.

Now, though, he had no need of any filters as he stared at the tough guy wannabe crawling out of the softball field crater for the tenth time. Truth to tell, the man’s tenacity had made quite an impression on Hancock. Despite the fact the guy was both a world-class asshole and a Grade A psychopath, he had to admit there wasn’t an ounce of quit in this Captain Nazi guy.

"I-I'm not finished with you, Mein Herr!" Captain Nazi wheezed.

Hancock smiled. Finally! The man had dropped that 'mongrel' nonsense and was finally showing him some respect!  "I don't know about that, Cap. Look at you! You can barely stand on your own two feet!"

"Nein," the Nazi denied. "I shall begin our battle in earnest again...once I catch my second wind."

Suddenly, above and behind the beaten villain, they heard the sexy purr of a woman's voice ask, "Why don't you catch this instead, Herr Nazi?"

Both men peered up into the sky and saw Green Lantern hover over them wearing a wry smirk on her masked face alongside a grinning Supergirl encased in an emerald shield like the Lantern’s preparing to hurl the unconscious form of Reichsmark right at the personification of fascism.  "Candy gram for Mister Nazi!"

#

Once the dust had settled, Hancock supposed that after being slammed down inside the crater for the eleventh time was finally enough to put the caped villain down for the count. Now he glanced up at the pair of women who had supremely satisfied expressions on their faces and smirked. " _Blazing Saddles?_ You know, that was totally badass for a pair of white girls!"

#

"Colonel Lucy Lane, Homeland Security.  We're here to take these terrorists into custody."

Supergirl smiled at her friend, the DEO assistant director in charge of East Coast operations.  She'd called Alex and had asked her sister to give Lucy a call so her tiny friend could show up and take Captain Nazi and his crew off of the city's hands and transport the villains to a DEO facility that could hold them. "Hello, Colonel Lane."

"Hello, Supergirl. I guess we owe you our gratitude for saving the day once again."

"Actually, as I was saying to Captain Beckett," she indicated the tall, thin and beautiful woman who was dressed in skinny jeans, a turtleneck, a bulletproof vest, a pair of four inch high heeled boots and a holster on her shapely hip that was packing some serious heat standing in front of them glowering at the members of their little band of heroes. "I’d just made it here to see the very end of the fight. Liberty Belle, Jesse Quick, Hancock and Green Lantern were the ones who’d kept the villains mostly contained even though three people were killed before they’d engaged the terrorists."

Lane nodded to each hero.  "Thank you all for what you did here today. Your government appreciates your actions. Now, I should supervise my people while they ensure these perps are properly restrained before we take them in."

"Wait a second, Colonel," Beckett snapped. "These animals killed two of my officers and a young woman who was a resident of my city. I think they should be placed in my custody until all the jurisdictional issues are sorted out."

Even though the other woman had almost six inches on Lucy, especially in those killer heels of hers, the DEO agent didn't back down a single inch. "Look, Captain, I'm sorry about what happened to your men and the woman. But let's be reasonable here. Two of these perps have tremendous superhuman strength. One of them can kill almost anyone with a single touch of his hand. You simply don't have the facilities that can keep the public safe from these men."

Now Beckett stepped into Lucy's personal space, causing a bemused smile to dawn on Hancock's face while Lena and Kara both whimpered lowly. "I'll concede the point as to both the crew cut guy and the metal man.  However, the guy with the axe is a low level meta while the guy who’d been inside the armor until Supergirl none too gently removed him from it, is basically a normal. In addition, the armored guy was the one who’d killed my two officers, so, I...want...those…two...men…now, Colonel."

At that point, Lena must have noticed how hot and bothered Kara had become because the Green Lantern noisily cleared her throat and began to spout complete and utter bullshit. "Supergirl! We've got to go! Batman just called. He said we're needed!"

"Sorry, everyone," Kara announced, following her girlfriend’s lead. "I’m afraid duty calls!"

"Ms. Quick, I hope to see you again soon.  Mr. Hancock, I'll be in touch," Lena promised right before Kara and she took flight.

"Looking forward to it," Hancock yelled after the two women as they flew into the wild blue yonder.

#

As the pair continued to gain altitude, they flew together closely, side-by-side. 

A second later, a saucy smile formed on Kara's luscious lips. "Oh, Lena…seeing Lucy and Captain Beckett confront each other like that…it was…so…so…"

"Freaking hot!" Lena drawled.

"Yeah." Kara sighed wistfully.

Now, Lena used her ring to make them both invisible to the outside world. Then she turned her head and shot a smoldering look at her lover. “Kara, I’m so turned on right now, baby. Lord knows I’ve been patient, but…I really…really can’t take it anymore. I need you badly, darling. I love you, Kara Zor-El."

"I love you, too, Lena Luthor. And, I need you; I want you, too."

"All right then. No more distractions. No more interruptions. No more foreplay. Kara, I’m taking you to a decadent hotel suite that has our names on it. I'm going to pay someone an obscene amount of money and that person is going to bring you enough food to take the edge off the hunger you must have after you flew all the way here to protect me, my love. After that, we’re going to get naked then we’re going to fuck like bunnies until the cows come home! That is, of course,” Lena added because consent was so important to both women, "if that sounds good to you."

"Good?! That sounds freaking awesome!" Kara exclaimed. The lovers then lost themselves to the passionate kiss they now shared.

Once their lips had parted, they tenderly held each other close while Lena guided Kara to the five star hotel. Then a deeply emotional Kryptonian peered upward with a sense of reverence toward the point in the sky where she knew the star of her long dead home world was located and declared, "Blessed Rao, thank you! Thank you for making our dreams finally come true!"

#  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm kind of styling Hancock as this universe's Captain Marvel. Apparently his power set seems mystical in nature because his only weakness is long term exposure to his bond-mate Mary who has a similar power set as him. If the pair spend too much time together they lose all their powers, become mortal and either will die from old age or be able to be killed by weapons wielded by normal humans. Hancock and Mary are the last of their kind. The others had paired off when they wanted to have children and grow old together. John, though, had always been a hero and sacrificed his own happiness to be a Guardian of Humanity. His is a sad yet heroic story of an immortal hero who can only recall the last ninety years of his long life due to head trauma caused when he tried to take a chance to seek a happy life with Mary only to lose it all for love.
> 
> Thanks for reading this story! And please review, comment or critique. I always read them because a lot of the times they help make the story even better for the readers!


	23. The Sweetest Taboo Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Alex is looking for her wayward sister and Lucy is trying to get the 4-1-1 on Supergirl’s mysterious emerald-clad companion from her sister, Lois Lane, Lena and Kara finally have the opportunity to consummate their love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember the mature rating of this story? Well, it definitely comes into play in the last part of this chapter which is probably NSFW. I will place a spacer of stars above and below the NSFW part for those who only wish to read the SFW sections. Thanks!

**Midtown Café**

**New York, NY, Local time 1602**

“Hello?”

_“Hi, Jesse. It’s Alex. Is my sister there with you?”_

“Alex? How did you get the number to my cell phone? It’s unlisted.”

Alex’s voice sounded as if she was patiently providing an explanation to a special needs child. _“Jesse, I work for a secret government agency that spends its time chasing down aliens with bad attitudes. Getting a phone company to give me a telephone number is a walk in the park compared to what I normally do.”_

“Well, when you put it that way, point taken. However, I’m sorry to say your sister isn’t here with me right now.”

_“Do you know where I can find her? She’s not answering her phone.”_

“I can honestly tell you I do not know where your sister is at the moment.”

 _“Why’d you say it like that?”_ Alex asked.

The suspicious tone of Alex’s voice was plain as day to Jesse. “Well…she left with Lena when we all were in the park about an hour ago.”

_“Okay…maybe I should try Lena’s pho—”_

“Alex,” Jesse cut the younger woman off. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea. I think they need a little…alone time.”

_“What are you saying, Jesse?”_

Jesse rolled her eyes. Even though the Danvers sisters weren’t actually related by blood, apparently being oblivious was a trait shared by both women. “Alex, think about it. They’ve been on a slow burn pretty much from the day they met. Then they admitted their feelings for each other and have been crazy-in-love over the past four months. Your sister practically lives at Lena’s place now. Yet, all the things we’ve had to deal with over the past few months haven’t allowed much time for them to really be alone and do…you know…it.”

_“It?”_

The speedster sighed. “Yes. It. You know, the ‘wild thang?’ Or, if you prefer, 'wild-monkey-sex?' Kind of like what Detective Sawyer and you have done during much of your alone time?”

_“What?! No! We don't--"_

"Two words, Alex. Super. Hearing."

_"Oh. Oh!"_

Jesse smirked at Alex's response. _Houston...it's one first step for Danvers and one giant leap for Danvers-kind!_ “I’m sure she’ll get in touch with you in the morning,” the speedster said.

_“Okay.  I’ll wait for her to call me then.  Sorry to bother you.”_

“Don’t be silly! I consider you a friend, Alex. You’re no bother at all.”

_“Thank you, Jesse. I really appreciate that. Well, I’m going to end this call and hopefully get an alien who’s a close friend of mine to wipe the memory of this very disturbing conversation entirely from my mind.  So, take it easy.  Oh, by the way, before my friend makes me forget everything, you kicked ass in that park today. Way to go, girl!”_

“Thanks, Alex.  See you later.”

_“Okay, Jesse. Bye!”_

When she ended the call, she smiled wistfully and hoped her two friends were happily together in each other’s arms.

#

**The Quin Hotel Penthouse**

**New York, NY, Local time 1602**

Lena’s fingers flexed against the wall of their incredibly expensive triplex penthouse suite and entwined with Kara’s while she pressed her weight against the other woman’s lean and limber body, sandwiching her Supergirl between the wall and herself. They kissed and she felt Kara’s moan to which she answered back with a low groan of her own. Then Kara nipped the plumpness of her bottom lip and Lena moved from pressing Kara’s hands against the wall to grasp her lover by the hips.

When their lips parted, Kara whispered, "Being with you…it’s like an Earth fairy tale come true, Lena," Kara whispered. "Or a wonderful dream."

Lena smiled. _They were alone at last!_ her mind shouted inwardly with glee. Although they’d had plenty of good times at ‘Estrogen Central’ (James had dubbed her penthouse that when he’d heard Kara had practically moved in with Arisia, Jesse and Lena), she hadn’t wanted the first time Kara and she made love to be virtually in front of an audience. Lena had wanted their first time to be special, something precious Kara and she would hold onto for as long as they lived.

So when they’d arrived at the suite, they’d changed out of their uniforms, showered, dressed themselves in the most decadent robes Kara had ever worn, and had eaten the best Chinese take-out they’d ever had.  Afterwards, they’d barely took the time to clean up after themselves and brush their teeth before they’d pounced on each other.

Now, the only thing that physically separated Lena from her best friend and the love of her life was a few layers of rich Egyptian cotton. "Kara, you’re who I’ve always wanted. When I first met you, I knew my life would never be the same after I first laid eyes on you. I was drawn to you like a moth to the flame. And now, you’re here with me, loving me. YOU are my dream come true."

In response, Kara pouted prettily and said, with a voice that sounded like a soft, warm growl which reverberated right down to Lena’s core, "Well, since your dreams seem to come up a bit short, I guess we’ll have to go with mine." Kara then drew her Luthor to her and kissed Lena softly, sensually.

Lena tasted the sweetness of Kara’s lips and a tingle traveled along her spine. Kara then opened her mouth slightly and her teeth tugged on Lena’s full bottom lip once more. The CEO responded by pressing her exceptional breasts against Kara’s and parting her lips, inviting her tall lover to explore at Kara’s leisure.

The blonde accepted her lover’s invitation and ran the tip of her tongue along Lena’s bow-shaped lips. Kara seemed to be encouraged by the brunette’s whimpers and swallowed the passionate sounds her soulmate uttered while she cradled Lena inside arms that could shatter a mountain yet held the shorter woman as if she was the most precious thing in the entire galaxy.

Now Lena moved a hand from Kara’s hip, reached under the taller girl’s robe and trailed her fingers along Kara’s thigh. Lena flicked the tip of her tongue against Kara’s, sending bolts of arousal through the blonde’s body.

What had begun as a simple kiss, an affirmation of their love, had quickly become something more, something powerful…erotic.

Lena, her passions now inflamed, still possessed enough presence of mind to notice that Kara’s usual nascent shyness was nowhere to be found in that blessed hotel suite on this glorious afternoon. Although she was surprised at the confidence her beloved was demonstrating to her, she wanted Kara so badly she'd decided not to raise any questions and just go with it. So moved by the loving attention Kara was giving her, Lena now raised her other hand up to the other woman’s face and hooked her fingers softly behind the Kryptonian’s ear. Then she stroked the unimaginably supple flesh of Kara’s cheek with her thumb.

The two women smiled and gazed deeply into each other’s eyes where they spied their own private universes for several seconds. Then they closed their eyes and resumed their soul kissing while the lovers’ excitement continued to soar ever higher.

#

**Daily Planet Bullpen**

**Metropolis, Local Time 1622**

“Smallville, are their two ‘L’s’ in ‘traveler?’”

Clark Kent answered his partner/lover’s question with a long-suffering sigh. “I believe it’s one ‘L,’ Lois.”

“Thanks, Clark,” she said right before her smart phone trilled for her attention.

She glanced at the device’s screen and saw that her sister was calling. Lois then swiped her finger across the glass and connected the call.  “Lucy?”

“Hi, dumb ass!”

Lois smirked. “Hello to you, too, smart ass.  What’s up?”

“Did you guys happen to see the trouble in the Big Apple on TV?”

“I caught a little bit of it. So you’ve got Captain Nazi and his crew in custody?”

“Yeah but that’s not why I’m calling. What do Clark and you know about this Green Lantern chick?”

Lois shrugged before she realized her sister couldn’t see her reaction. “We don’t really know that much about her other than there’s actually two of them, possibly more. The brunette female worked with a red-skinned male almost a month ago in some Midwestern town when they took down a non-humanoid alien who threatened some young guy who lived in Hicksville. However, apparently the same woman worked with a petite blonde who wore the same ring but a different uniform to save everyone aboard a shipwrecked South Korean transport. After the brunette helped Supergirl capture the speedster from Captain Nazi’s little cell at NCX, Clark asked Kara what she knew about this Green Lantern. Kara basically repeated what she’d said to all the media outlets and told him the woman was, as far as she knew, a person with a wonderful heart.”

“Heh! That sounds like something Sunny Danvers would say, all right!  Even so, do you think there’s something going on between Supergirl and this Green Lantern babe? They were standing awfully close to each other when I saw them.”

“Not that I know of. What makes you say that?”

“Well…they kind of took off shortly after my arrival like bats out of hell. Apparently, the Dark Knight had called for their help but that doesn’t smell right. I’m sure your ‘special friend’ can attest to the fact that guy doesn’t allow other heroes to operate in his city.”

“Normally, that’s true, particularly absent his permission. On rare occasions, though, he has invited other heroes to go there, including my ‘special friend.’”

“I don’t know, Lo. Maybe you’re right but something feels off. Normally, Supergirl is happy to stick around and ensure that nothing goes wrong while my people lock down a situation. Yet, today, both she and the Lantern couldn’t even pretend they’d wanted to stay to help us out.”

“I don’t know what to tell you, Luce, other than I’ll look into it.”

“All right then. Thanks, Lois. Talk to you later.”

“Will do, Lucy.  Take care and I mean that! Captain Nazi is dangerous. Don’t underestimate him.”

“Hey! It’s me!”

“I know, dumb ass! That’s why I’m warning you!”

“Bye, Lois!”

“See you soon, smart ass!”

Once she disconnected the call, she shot a hard look at her ‘special friend’ who was in his mild-mannered reporter guise. “Smallville! What in the hell is going on between your cousin and the Green Lantern?!”

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**The Quin Hotel Penthouse**

**New York, NY, Local time 1626**

Lena dug her fingers into Kara’s thigh as she grew more aroused because of Kara's surprisingly skillful ministrations.

Meanwhile, she gave as good as she'd received, causing the Kryptonian to moan at her touch while Kara continued to worship Lena’s succulent body with her hands and mouth.

Before Lena knew it, so invested in the all-consuming desire sparking between them, Kara had floated them both to the bedroom suite while they’d been kissing. The blonde then gently guided her muse down onto the mattress before she levitated on top of Lena.

Soon, Kara moved her right thigh between her lover’s legs and straddled Lena’s right leg. The blonde briefly tore herself away from Lena’s lips and panted. "Rao, you taste so good……" Then she leaned down and licked her lover’s neck up toward the brunette’s ear where she snaked her tongue under the tender lobe and sucked it into her mouth, running her teeth gently over the morsel of flesh.

Bolts of heat shot straight through Lena’s throbbing center and she arched into Kara’s touch. Meanwhile, her hands ran up and down the length of Kara’s torso until she finally bunched up her lover’s robe, causing it to gather around the blonde’s hips. In response to the heat between her thighs, she kissed and sucked her way down the Kryptonian’s neck, eliciting tiny moans of pleasure and encouragement from the love of her life.

"Kara..."

"Mmmm…" her beloved moaned in response before she stole another greedy kiss from the brunette.

The lovers now writhed against each other in the middle of the bed, lips locked, fingers questing, demanding. A hand on a breast, squeezing. A leg between thighs, pressing. Hips moving to a rhythm as old as time. Their kisses were furious, trying to express in a matter of seconds what the prior months had built between them.

Suddenly, Kara pulled back from their latest tender salute to each other and bit gently down on the Luthor’s lower lip before descending down her lover’s chin to the gentle slope of the brunette’s neck. Lena rolled her head back, eyes half shut as her beloved suckled the sensitive flesh into Kara’s mouth.

The brunette’s hands abandoned the robe, cupped the blonde’s ass and squeezed, crushing their hips together.

"Oh, Rao, Lena…" Kara mumbled while she opened her love’s robe, "I love how you touch me...I love it!" she hissed. Losing herself to her passion, Kara resumed her gentle assault on Lena’s ear, flicking the succulent lobe teasingly, before she drew it into her mouth.

"Ohh…" Lena moaned, her left hand shooting up to hold Kara’s head close. Then she turned her head and captured the skin of the blonde’s neck between her teeth playfully before sucking on it with a feral growl.

Kara released Lena’s ear at that moment and her rose peaks grew harder against Lena’s breasts. Now Kara paused to catch her breath just as Lena’s robe fell open, revealing all of Lena’s magnificence to her hungry eyes.

"Lee…" she whispered.

The CEO smiled at the nickname. It was the first time Kara had ever called her that. She didn’t know if her lover had meant to say it or the sight of her body, ready, willing and able for Kara, her darling Kara, had forced the blonde to come up a bit short. "Yes?"

"You’re… you’re beautiful," Kara whispered then licked her lips.

"You really think so?"

"Oh yeah…" Kara nodded. "Like Arisia said, you’re a hottie."

She grinned and reached for her lover to draw Kara back down to her.

"Wait, baby," Kara whispered while she glanced at Lena’s taut stomach then her full breasts before settling on her flushed face. Now there was a little distance between them, the cooler air causing Lena’s nipples to pucker and stiffen enticingly.

"Darling, do you want to stop for a while?"

"What? No way! It’s just, I love you, Lena. I just want to show you how much. If it’s okay with you, can you lie back and enjoy this...enjoy my loving you?"

The brunette nodded slowly. Then she wrapped her hands around Kara’s and placed one on each breast.

"Always, darling."

When Kara touched, caressed, kneaded, and pinched the soft flesh of her breasts, Lena gasped. The Kryptonian brushed her thumbs softly against stiff peaks forcing Lena to bite back a moan. Then Kara bent over slightly and lapped tiny circles around the brunette’s nipple before she dragged her front teeth over it, followed by a tongue cooled by her super breath.

"Jesus Christ!” Lena moaned as she arched against Kara.

Utterly focused on her labor of love, Kara swirled her tongue around the stiff peak while continuing to rub the other one with her thumb, pinching the flesh as her mouth continued to devour the other.

Wrapping one hand around the blonde’s head, urging her onward, Lena dragged her other hand to cover one of Kara’s breasts. Her palm rubbed the other woman’s hard nipple, eliciting a moan from the blonde.

Lena, a certified genius, was now reduced to the mental prowess of a cave woman.  All she knew right now was the pressure between her legs was worse than she’d ever recalled and she desperately needed her beloved to touch her there.

"Kara…please…" she whimpered and pressed her body firmly against the other woman’s thigh.

#

Kara became aware of a steady movement against her thigh and realized Lena was pumping her hips back and forth, the woman’s soaked center rubbing against her. Now she released a nipple, looked up and saw her baby’s closed eyes, her open mouth and the tip of her tongue dancing slowly across her bottom lip. Then she captured those lips with a searing kiss. Lena responded by opening her mouth wide, welcoming Kara’s probing tongue. She pressed her body carefully against Lena, pinning the woman to the bed as she brushed her fingers against her lover’s center.

The brunette moaned loudly, almost abandoning their kiss, though Kara wouldn’t allow the tender salute to end. Then Kara’s fingers pressed against the bundle of nerves between Lena’s legs and the brunette’s hips convulsed. "Kara… Kara please…" Lena pleaded, her hips practically moving of their own accord.

When she realized her lover was near her breaking point as evidenced by the drumbeat of her heart, Kara slowly crawled down Lena’s body, kissing the soft warmth below her tenderly, leaving no area untouched by her lips. Meanwhile, the brunette writhed on the bed beneath her, floating on the sweet sensations traveling throughout her body.

The Kryptonian avoided touching Lena’s sex for a bit longer, instead focusing her ministrations on the woman’s mons and inner thighs. Soon, Lena was desperate to have her lover touch her where she needed it most.

"Kara!" she growled, lifting her hips, her body demanding Kara to take her to infinity and beyond.

The Kryptonian glanced up to see anxious anticipation on Lena's face. She smiled gently and kissed the inside of her lover's left thigh. "I love you," she whispered her confession like a prayer.

"Mmm, I...love...you...too," the brunette sighed between the blonde's soft caresses of her tenderness.

Kara then dropped to her knees on the floor beside the bed, hooked her arms around the brunette’s legs and dragged her soulmate closer. Having the love of her life's bounty laid out like a feast before her grateful eyes intoxicated the Kryptonian to the point she knew she was forever hooked and could never give Lena up.

Then before she ‘dived,’ as Cat Grant had once said to Kara, she gazed up into the eyes of her love over Lena’s Venus mound and flashed a tender smile.

**#**

When she spied Kara’s gentle smile, Lena felt her heart swell with all the love she felt for her best friend and soulmate. _Sweet Kara,_ she mused to herself.

Then Kara’s tongue began to trace her nether lips with steady, long strokes.

_SWEET JESUS!!!_ she screamed inside her mind. 

She groaned from the incredible sensations imparted by Kara’s ministrations. She spread herself wider, dragged her legs up, and rested her heels on her lover’s shoulders. "Oh...God," she gasped. "That feels...fucking...great!" Lena growled as she licked her lips and twisted both nipples between her thumbs and forefingers, thankful to every saint she could recall from the church at her Catholic boarding school that she’d finally found her heaven.

Now Lena shivered from her lover’s breath, so aroused she felt her body was on fire. Then Kara sucked the dampness of the brunette’s desire, causing her to groan and thrash while Kara’s tongue made forays around her opening, up to her tiny, aching hardness, and back down to discover new sweetness, making Lena gasp and lift herself off the bed in ecstasy. "Oh, yes! Don’t stop…" she moaned. She pumped her hips, mashing her pussy against Kara’s face while the tension in her belly swelled and her sex quivered from the oncoming surge of pleasure. Then her breath caught in her throat. "Oh…fuck! Yes! Oh, yes…right there…right there," the words rushed from her mouth as the onset of her explosion had finally arrived.

Suddenly, Lena Luthor arched up off of their bed and gritted her teeth. Then her brilliant mind suffered an overload when the bright atomic flash of her orgasm swept out from her center and traveled throughout her body in a steady pulse, causing her hips to buck violently.

Then without a moment’s respite, Kara replaced her questing tongue with three fingers. She now pressed them inside Lena’s quivering sex disrupting the woman’s attempt to try and catch her breath.

Lena knew it was ‘game over’ when she felt herself rocketing toward her second climax, one she knew would be far more powerful than the last. Now her eyes locked onto Kara’s, while she held onto the headboard for dear life and gyrated her hips against the steady thrusting of her lover’s fingers. Meanwhile, Kara alternated between licking Lena’s bundle of nerves, as well as the slick folds around them, ratcheting her lover’s tension up to thermonuclear levels, then backing off slightly, keeping Lena dancing along the razor’s edge.

Suddenly, it all came crashing down when Kara drew Lena’s blood-engorged nub into Kara’s mouth and sucked greedily on it while the blonde thrust her fingers into the brunette with fast, hard jabs.

A sheer white bolt of energy brighter than the sun raced through Lena’s entire being, making her feel as if her entire body had disintegrated and sent her molecules racing to the farthest corners of the universe. "Oh...Oh! My! God!" she screamed, squeezed her eyes shut and cut off the stare she’d shared with Kara.

#

After her boneless lover had collapsed onto the bed, Kara gently removed Lena’s feet from her shoulders and laid her legs down on top of the mattress. She then climbed into bed and drew the trembling woman into her arms, while delivering butterfly kisses to Lena’s flushed cheeks and dampened forehead.

"Oh, Rao…" Lena whispered.

Kara chuckled. “Hey, I think that’s my line!”

A wicked grin dawned on Lena’s face at that very moment, causing Kara to blink thrice. “Once I catch my breath, it’ll be your turn, darling. And when I’m done with you, trust me, you’ll be crying out to him, too!”

#

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, that was kind of racy! Anyway, thanks for reading this story! Reviews, critiques or comments are welcome!
> 
> Fun fact: The Quin Hotel's triplex, brick facade penthouse really exists. This hotel is known for its most accommodating staff and has a great gym, offers free morning tea/coffee and has a fabulous restaurant (The Wayfarer). It's also walking distance to Fifth Avenue and Times Square, to name just a couple of spots. If you let them know you or one of your family members staying with you is celebrating a birthday [you don't need to be in the penthouse ;-) ], the staff will leave a birthday cake and wine in your room! Here's a link to the hotel webpage that shows the incredible great room of the triplex at night--http://www.thequinhotel.com/the-quin-fact-sheets  
> The going rate for the penthouse is $15,000 per night, a price that a Gates, Saudi oil prince, or a Luthor could easily swing! :)


	24. The Sweetest Taboo Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This time, It's Lena's turn, Jesse receives her just reward, and we check in on Badass Danvers and her tiny, smart ass girlfriend,

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The NSFW part is at the beginning and separated by "*"'s. If you wish to skip to the SFW parts search using the *. Thanks!

**The Quin Hotel Penthouse**

**New York, NY, Local time 0602**

Lena Luthor, who was perhaps one of two humans who had experienced the beauty of a star-rise on an alien world, thought even that sight paled in comparison to waking up to find, through the wide open French doors of their master bedroom suite, Kara Zor-El, wearing only a white sports bra and matching boy shorts, floating a few inches above the surface of the penthouse’s terrace with her arms outstretched, her tall, lean, luscious body aglow from the rays of the sun.

Lena gasped. She barely managed to dampen her lust for the woman whose disguise often managed to hide her demi-goddess body from the eyes of the masses. In that moment, the CEO decided to get out of bed and make a bathroom run, hoping to relieve herself, shower, brush her teeth, return to their master suite and persuade the love of her life to come back to bed and play!

Ten minutes later, after she had showered, Lena was brushing her teeth when Kara padded up behind her and planted a gentle yet absolutely sinful kiss on the back of Lena's neck. Then the blonde gently brushed her fingertips along the plane of Lena’s shoulder causing a shudder to travel down the brunette’s spine before Kara entered the expansive travertine-tiled enclosure for her shower.

Fifteen minutes later after the Kryptonian had toweled herself dry, both women found themselves under the covers of the decadent sheets of their magnificent bed as snug as bugs in a rug. The blonde now scooted onto her side and offered her strong back to Lena. The Luthor then gathered her lover into her arms and pressed herself against the taller woman. Moments later, she cupped one of Kara’s small, perfect breasts in her right hand while she nuzzled one of the blonde’s earlobes and pressed her groin firmly against Kara’s rock-hard ass.

“Oh, Rao,” Kara groaned. Then she sighed blissfully.

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Emboldened by her lover’s response, Lena’s hand meandered down her lover's torso to Kara’s unearthly abs where she caressed her soulmate’s warm skin. Meanwhile, the smaller woman sneaked her left hand under Kara’s body and tenderly stroked the blonde’s left breast. The nipple of that breast hardened immediately under Lena’s attentive ministrations. The Kryptonian began to breathe deeply and slowly while the Luthor’s hand that had been on Kara’s stomach crept down to stroke its fingers along the inside of the blonde’s inner thigh.

"Ohmigod, Lee!” the Kryptonian pleaded breathlessly.

The brunette smirked a little then at the sound of her favorite nickname. By now, after making love from yesterday late afternoon until the dead of night, stopping only so Kara could eat and refuel, Kara’s new pet name for Lena had grown on the Luthor. Almost immediately, though, she ceased her woolgathering, refocused her attentions on her lover and nipped Kara’s neck before soothing the phantom bite by licking the spot. "Shh…I’ve got you, love,” she whispered. "Kara, darling, do you know how many nights I've laid in bed excited over you? Beloved..." she continued to speak in a low, husky voice, her very soul unburdening itself to her lover, "on those nights, I closed my eyes and thought of us together a hundred different ways. I got so worked up that when I touched myself I came so hard. How about you, Kara? Did you ever lie in bed and think of me, darling?" she mused while she tenderly stroked Kara’s nether lips with her fingers.

Now the blonde hissed loudly and pressed her ass hard against her brunette lover, causing the shorter woman to bite down on her own lip and suppress the groan that sought to escape from way deep down inside. “Oh, _a rúnsearc_ ,” she purred, her voice an octave deeper than usual; in truth, it sounded closer to the growl of one of the great cats. Then she slid her hands up along Kara’s waist and allowed her thumbs to lightly caress the undersides of her girlfriend’s breasts, gauging the Kryptonian's reaction to Lena's tender ministrations. The brunette was soon rewarded by Kara's quiet gasp and Lena responded by sinking her teeth in the skin of her lover's throat. Now, Kara moaned wantonly while Lena cradled her in the brunette's arms. Soon, when she finally cupped the blonde’s breasts with both hands, they both groaned in bliss.

Then she squeezed Kara's nipples between her thumb and forefinger, toying with them, listening intensely to her Supergirl's heart as it began to race. "Does that feel good, love?"

The blonde nodded languidly as if she was lost inside a beautiful dream.

“Kara, I love you. Are you ready for me, darling?”

“Yes, Lee…oh, yes!”

Lena replied wordlessly as she slowly, sensuously kissed and tongued Kara’s back while she tweaked the other woman’s nipples between her thumbs and forefingers.

A sound somewhere between a choke and a growl now sounded from Kara’s throat. Suddenly, the blonde guided the fingers of Lena's right hand down between her legs to touch the bundle of nerves protected by Kara’s tiny hood. Lena soon began to rub them in tight circles against Kara's nub, pressing harder than what would have been comfortable for the brunette herself but was, she’d discovered during the magical evening they’d spent together, what had worked best to pleasure her soulmate.

"Oh, Kara...you're so wet," the brunette whispered.

Now, Kara moaned once then began to chant continuously, “Lee…Lee…Lee,” like a prayer while her hips rolled backwards, causing the blonde Kryptonian's tight ass to press against Lena’s Venus mound.

The brunette then gasped in response to her lover's movements. She was a bit surprised to experience the rush of her own orgasm fast approaching, most likely fueled by Kara’s wondrous responsiveness and the pressure of unearthly glutes against her own pulsating sex. Lena couldn’t dawdle anymore; she wanted to ensure they both came together rather than have the onrush of her own climax interfere with Kara's oncoming orgasm.

So, Lena’s exquisitely trained scientific mind recalled all it had recorded regarding what had pleased her lover from the night before and ruthlessly exploited that knowledge. Immediately, she bit hard down on the side of Kara’s neck like a sexy vampire, rubbed her fingers against her lover’s clit like Hendrix strumming a bass guitar riff and pinched Kara’s nipple like a vise.

For the first time ever, Kara shouted a curse word in Lena's presence. "Fuck!" Then the blonde gyrated her tight ass against Lena’s pussy and both women cried out as they climaxed thunderously together.

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

After they’d slowly wound their way down from the heights of Nirvana, the Terran woman gently kissed her gorgeous lover’s back, the plane of Kara’s shoulder, then finally settled her lips against the graceful slope of the blonde’s jawline. Meanwhile a boneless Kryptonian totally collapsed inside Lena’s loving arms.

"Baby," Kara said once she’d begun to breathe normally. “I’m starving!”

Lena hummed contentedly. “I figured you would be, sweetie. Would you like me to make you all the pancakes and bacon you can eat?”

“Yes!” Kara hissed like a gigantic snake. Now, she employed her power of flight and flew them both to the bathroom. Then, after they’d washed up, Kara swept the brunette up in her arms as if the woman was her bride and ferried her Luthor into the kitchen.

#

**51st 5 th Avenue, Unit 412**

**New York, NY; Local time 0824**

Five minutes after she’d asked the building security to send her visitor up, Jesse Chambers heard someone rap on the door of her apartment. She opened it to find her COO, Margot Lowe, a five-foot-five-inch raven haired woman with an hourglass figure, smiling brightly at her. “Jesse!”

“Hey, Margot! Come in, come in!”

The slightly shorter woman crossed the threshold and gave her a bear hug. “I’m so glad you’re back, girlfriend!”

“Thanks! And thank you for running things at the company while I’ve been away.”

Margot snorted and drew back away from the hug they’d shared. “Well, you’ve made things quite easy on me, especially with that new account you bagged!”

“What do you mean?” she asked as she led her immediate subordinate to her breakfast nook.

“Are you serious? I’m talking about the marketing contract we inked with LBJ Kinetics, of course!’

She blinked twice before she recalled when Lena and Kara had surprised her by awarding Quickstart with a two million dollar annual contract to handle the promotion advertising for the LLC. She also remembered how utterly stunned they’d been after Margot and she’d collaborated on the project and delivered big-time. Now, she grinned at her business partner and announced, “We do the impossible…”

“…every single day!” Margot finished the tagline.

Jesse nodded. The funny thing about the whole business had been that the members of the LLC had only wanted the advertising campaign to make the company look legit to an unsuspecting world.

“However, that’s not all,” Margot said. “I just received a call late yesterday afternoon from Lena Luthor’s executive assistant. She told me to expect a call from LCorp’s Senior Vice President of Marketing to discuss working on a new tagline for LCorp!”

Even though her inner voice screamed, _What the fuck?!_ she managed to maintain the illusion of being completely caught off guard for the benefit of her COO. “Really? Why…that’s wonderful news!”

While Margot continued to chatter on about their good fortune, Jesse was spinning on the inside. _Why…why…that little sneak!_ Now she smiled to herself, felt a rush of warmth deep inside her soul and thanked God Almighty for giving her such an awesome friend. _Not only had Lena saved me from a woman who’d tried to kill me, she welcomed me unconditionally into her rather interesting life, gave me new friends like Kara, Arisia, Alex, Steve, Tina and Caitlin, and helped my mom and me get back together_ , she mused.

At that moment, she decided to give that woman a call and thank her for everything.

“Well, I just wanted to drop by and tell you the exciting news. So…will you be in town long?”

Jesse shook her head.  “I don’t think so. I still need to take a sabbatical for a little while longer. I’m working on a few family issues but things are starting to look up. Actually, my mom stayed over last night. I think she’s in the shower right now but she should be out soon. Want to join us for some breakfast?”

“Thanks for the invitation but I’ve got a staff meeting set for nine. So…you’re okay with me handling the negotiations with the LCorp executive?”

“Of course! I’m not worried. I know you’ll knock ‘em dead!”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Margot offered with a smile. Then she grinned. “Hey, before I go, the B.B. King Blues Club and Grill sent me four VIP tickets to pass along to you for tonight’s George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic performance.”

Jesse squealed. “I love me some PFunk!” she exclaimed, her fangirl-self unabashedly showing.

Margot smirked. “I think Terry’s aware of that, girlfriend! Anyway, he wanted to make sure I gave them to you while you’re in town.”

“Thanks, Margot! I have a few friends who’d probably love to go with me.”

“That’s nice, babe. Well, I want your friends and you to have a great time tonight. Give me a call tomorrow, all right?”

“Okay, girlfriend,” she said as she walked Margot to the door.

Then they hugged once more and Margot whispered, “Take care of yourself and come back when you’re ready. I’ll keep the porch light on.”

She released the smaller woman from their mutual embrace, opened the door and drawled, “Nice tagline. Too bad it’s already been taken.”

“Well, I can’t help that it’s such a great line! Bye!”

“Bye,” she said softly as her friend strode confidently out the door into the hallway.

#    

**The Quin Hotel Penthouse**

**New York, NY, Local time 0902**

Kara gently swept Lena’s luxurious hair over the brunette’s right shoulder and pressed her lips against the spot where Lena’s other shoulder and her neck met. Lena hummed her pleasure while the blonde seated herself on the counter chair beside the CEO’s. “Alex said ‘Hi!’ She's glad you're okay and told me James had covered for me with Snapper. Then she muttered something about wild monkeys. I wonder why she was watching a Jane Goodall documentary so early in the morning?”

A blushing Lena stared incredulously at Kara for a moment because, at times, she didn't know if the Kryptonian was truly that obtuse or if she was fucking with her. Then the Luthor decided discretion was probably the better part of valor in this instance. “Darling…we need to talk,” she said in her voice that made Kara, at times, think her girlfriend was channeling Lillian.

Kara shot a concerned look her way. “Baby…what’s wrong? Did I do something to upset you?”

“What?! No, perish the thought! You were fantastic! You, my dear, are the most giving, most wonderful lover I’ve ever had. In fact, I think it’s safe to say you are awesome, my darling!”

Kara's smile, to Lena's admittedly biased eyes, seemed to outshine the sun. “Lee…you…you make me so…so happy. I never imagined anyone could have made me feel like I’ve finally found my place in this world. I love you for that, but, mostly, I love you.”

Lena beamed even as she fought to hold back her tears of joy. “Kara,” she reverently breathed her lover’s name, “I know you’re worried about how my step-mother will react to us being together and I understand being with a Luthor while she’s out there on the loose might give you pause about going public with our relationship—”

“Lee…please, stop,” Kara whispered, interrupting the brunette’s ramble. “I want you to get this through your adorable head once and for all. I have never and will never hold your family name against you.” Then she gently caressed Lena’s jaw with her fingertips. “To me, you’ll always be Lena, the most beautiful, most courageous, most brilliant, most generous, and the most loving person I’ve ever known. I knew, from the first, I always wanted you in my life. But now, after everything we’ve been through, I’m yours, no matter what comes, as long as you’ll have me.”

Lena leaned forward and hugged Kara fiercely. “Always! I’ll have you always!” she vowed breathlessly. “And, Kara, I could never leave you. I-I couldn’t even pretend I’m capable of doing so.”

Kara nodded against the crook of her lover’s neck before she kissed Lena’s cheek. “Then I guess we’re stuck with each other, baby!”

“I suppose so, darling,” the CEO agreed amiably.

“So…if we go public,” Kara asked, “what sort of changes will that mean for us?”

“Well…I don’t think much will change, really. I’d like us to be a little more affectionate toward each other like holding hands, maybe a few kisses on the cheek. However, I’ve never engaged in outrageous forms of PDA. I’ve always been shy about things like that.”

“I’m good with that, babe. Ever since I came here, I’ve always been told never to draw attention to myself. I was pretty certain that my engaging in serious PDA would have put a crimp in what the Danvers had wanted out of life for me.”

Soon, they grew quiet and basked in the warmth of being in each other arms for several blissful minutes before Kara drew back a bit and noted, “Well, if we’re going public, I guess I probably should tell Kal-El and Snapper about us before we’re outted by TMZ.”

Lena chuckled warmly and shook her head. “I have no problem with telling your cousin about us and my little secret or having you tell Snapper we’re together so no one will accuse you of having any conflicts of interest. However, I don’t think you have to worry about those bottom-of-a-birdcage rags printing anything tawdry about us in the immediate future.”

“How come?”

“Because, my dear,” she explained, her luscious lips curling into a knowing smirk, “our society, for the most part, is still heteronormative. You and I have gone out to countless lunches and numerous dinners together, yet not a peep about a potential romance between us has ever shown up in any serious blogs or print media sources. Believe me, I’ve had my PR people check on it! They’ve found nothing even remotely troublesome about us. To nearly everyone who’d remotely give a flip, we’re simply very good, very dear ‘gal pals.’ That’s true despite the fact I invited you as my guest to the children’s hospital gala and I didn’t even have a male escorting me. Still, despite everything, no one’s connected the dots. I’d bet good money we’d have to engage in down-and-dirty, wild-monkey-sex on Main Street in broad daylight before the media would pay any attention to us.”

Kara gasped and regarded her with a horrified expression on the Kryptonian’s face. “Is that what Alex was hinting at before she’d ended our call?!”

Now she narrowed her eyes and stared at the blonde. “Is that all that you got out of what I’d just told you?”

Kara sputtered. “N-no! O-of course not!”

Lena then shook her head resignedly and brushed her lips gently against Kara’s. “You are so damn adorkable, Kara Zor-El!” she drawled. Then she added, “Since Metropolis is just down the expressway, why don’t you call your cousin and see if he’d like to come to our penthouse for a nice, private lunch.”

“Are you sure about this, honey? He’ll probably want to bring Lois with him. They’re practically married to each other, and, although I love her dearly, she’s nosy as hell.”

“Are you saying, other than the fact Lois Lane is a busybody, they’re just like us?” the brunette teased.

Kara nodded fervently, a wry smile now on her exquisite face while she took both of Lena’s hands into hers, leaned forward and planted her lips on the CEO’s for a brief yet glorious moment. “Yep,” she answered with a pop to the ‘p’. “They’re just like us, baby.”

#

 

**51st 5 th Avenue, Unit 412**

**New York, NY; Local time 0908**

“I’m sorry I missed Margot, sweetheart,” Jesse’s mother said between bites while the two women ate their breakfast.

“She was disappointed she missed you, too, Mom, but she had to get to the office for a staff meeting. Hey…before she took off, she gave me four tickets to a show at a club one of my client’s owns. I was thinking of asking Lena and our friend Kara to go with me. That leaves one ticket up for grabs. Would you like to go with us?”

Libby smiled graciously. “That’s nice of you to ask, sweetie, but I’m sure you don’t want your old mom to ‘hang out’ with your friends and you and cramp your style. Besides, I doubt you’re going to a place where they still listen to swing!”

Jesse rolled her eyes. “This coming from the woman everyone thinks is my slightly elder sister,” she teased gently.

“Well, you and I know better, don’t we, young lady?”

“Yes, Mom.”

“Say, I have an idea! Why don’t you call John and ask him to go out on the town with you girls.”

“John?”

“Yes…my friend, John Hancock. I think interacting with young people would do the man a world of good.”

She blinked twice at her mother. “Um…Mom, you wouldn’t have a problem with him being with me…I mean, with us?!”

Libby shot a confused look her way. “Of course not! Why in heaven's name would I mind him going out with your friends and you?”

“Well…after Philip and all…I’d just thought—”

Her mother cut her off immediately. “Jesse…I thought we’d begun to put what that terrible man had done to you…done to me, behind us.”

She rushed to placate her mother. “Mom, you’re right; we’re moving forward. I…just…don’t want you to think I’d ever hurt you again.”

“Jesse, honey, I know you and I are in a much better place than where we were before. For heaven’s sakes, I’ve forgiven you. I hope I’m still forgiven.”

“Oh, yes, Mom, yes!” she breathed.

“Then I think we’re going to be just fine, sweetie.”

Her mother paused for a moment to gather her thoughts then said, “John was a good friend to both your father and me during the War. Although he’d been a man whose entire history had been erased, he’d always been a mighty fine hero. Your father and I were proud to have him as our comrade-in-arms despite the fact some folks who’d fought at our sides weren’t as accepting of him as they should have been simply because of the color of the man’s skin. Still, even though I’ve always admired him, I’ve never once been attracted to him in a romantic way and I’ve never got any hint he’s ever considered me in that way, either. Jesse, I know your generation, for the most part, yesterday’s foes notwithstanding, doesn’t have the same problem with interracial relationships the folks in my day unfortunately had. So, I’m fine with you asking him to join you and your friends. And, although I’m certainly not throwing you at the man, if something happens; well…it happens. Let me tell you something, John Hancock is a good man despite the troubles he had a decade ago in Los Angeles. I think a woman could do a lot worse than dating him, believe you me!”

“Well, let’s not put the cart before the horse, all right? He might decide he doesn’t want to hang with us. I mean, to him, we’re probably a bunch of toddlers. Why, he probably considers even you to be a babe-in-the-woods!”

“You take that back right this instant, young lady!”

“Yes, Mom,” a thoroughly chastised Jesse responded demurely before she excused herself from the table to place several phone calls.

#

**1249 El Segundo Road, Unit 331**

**National City, CA; Local time 0622**

“So, how’d your call with Little Danvers go? Did you overhear Little Luthor purring in her best 'James Bond bad girl' voice for your sister to come back to bed?”

Alex Danvers nearly stumbled as she attempted to put on her pants when Maggie Sawyer had teased her.

The DEO agent then glared at her lover after she’d managed to regain her balance. “Even though I love you, if you ever say anything like that to me ever again, I WILL shoot you,” she threatened.

“Yeah, right! I love you, too, Danvers.”

Alex tried to be annoyed with the tiny Latina but she couldn’t when her girlfriend flashed a dimpled smile her way. She sighed. _Why in the hell does she have to be so damn cute?_ she complained silently to an uncaring universe.

Now Maggie shook her head and chuckled. “Alex, I can’t believe you still have such a hard time with Lena and Kara being together!”

She was quick with her denial. “I don’t have a problem with it! I’m just not used to thinking about Kara…or them…in that way.”

“In what way? What the hell do you think they do at night? Braid each other’s hair?”

“No! Look, I know Kara is a beautiful, loving person. She deserves all the happiness in the world, especially after she'd almost died saving the entire planet last year. And only a blind man couldn’t see Lena is a kind soul, not to mention, insanely hot and built like a brick shithouse. To expect they aren’t making love after all this time would be crazy.” Alex then heard in her head what she’d just said to the detective about Lena Luthor, followed by an uncomfortable glance toward the bed where Maggie and she had often engaged in wild-monkey-sex of their own and thought, perhaps, she didn’t need to be quite so transparent concerning her observations about Lena’s charms.

Maggie now had a maddening smirk on her face while Alex was still going over her uncomfortable confession inside her mind. “If you really believe you don’t have a problem with their relationship, why were you so freaked out by the thought of them fucking like bunnies last night?”

Alex wanted to plunge deeply into her favorite river, De-nial, however Maggie’s question caused Badass Danvers to shoot a frosty glare the Latina’s way. “Okay, just stand there and let me find my alien gun; it’ll only take me a second, Sawyer.”

“Alex, it’s healthy for Little Luthor and Little Danvers to take this step at this stage in their relationship. You should be happy for them!”

The DEO agent was suddenly struck by her girlfriend’s completely out of character, live-and-let-live attitude in regards to Lena Luthor, the woman who’d supposedly messed up Maggie’s life. “What’s up with you? I thought Lena was off your Christmas list this year.”

Maggie smiled wryly. “She’s back on it now, especially after her mouthpiece told the Chief that Little Luthor had had a change of heart and had come to realize we were just doing our jobs and weren’t biased toward her because of her family name. According to my captain, the review board is probably more likely to discuss policy changes for the department rather than look to nail anyone’s ass to the wall for that fuck-up.”

Alex smiled. “That’s great news, baby! How come you didn’t tell me about it last night?”

“Well…I was kind of busy banging you, you know, to help you forget that Little Luthor was doing the same thing to your formerly vestal virgin sister on the other side of the country!”

If looks could kill, all that would have been left of Maggie would have been disintegrated particles on the surface of the bedroom carpet. “Where did I put those handcuffs, dammit?” Alex growled.

“Here they are!” Maggie cheerfully announced as she unbuckled the restraints from her belt and offered them to her lover.

For several moments, Alex seriously considered snatching them from the smug woman, restraining her to the bed frame and screwing the hell out of her before common sense prevailed. She sighed resignedly. If they engaged in some serious playtime now, they’d be embarrassingly late for work. Besides, she didn’t want to run the risk of having J’onn read her mind and discovering the reason for her tardiness.

“Unfortunately, Sawyer, we don’t have time to play right now. Tonight, though, after we get home, have a little dinner and some wine, you can draw me a bath, light some candles and I’ll be your Cleopatra.”

“Cool!” an enthusiastic Maggie exclaimed. “Hey, can I be Marcia Antony this time?”

She grinned wickedly, crossed over to her lover, wrapped her arms around the petite woman’s waist and kissed her sweetly. “I’m okay with that…Pro-Consul.”

#

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this story! And please review, comment or critique. I always read them because a lot of the times they help make the story even better for you!


	25. Guess Who's Hosting Dinner?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A threat to the city stirs on the horizon while Lena and Kara meet Lois and Clark for the first time as a couple.

**Chapter 25**

**Interstate 95**

**New York, NY, Local time 1347**

James Earl Roof’s anger simmered just south of its boiling point when he drove his car onto the exit off of the George Washington Expressway and entered the borough of Manhattan.

For the last five hundred miles or so, the Elkton, Maryland native had been fuming over how his former girlfriend, Kelly, had recently married his childhood friend from a few years back, Caleb. His two friends and he had hung out together before James Earl had learned the harsh lessons the world had to teach him. His friend, Caleb, was of mixed race; his father a black man; his mother white. Before Kelly had turned her back on both the white race and him, James had liked Caleb and the rest of Caleb’s family.

Now, he wondered why his old friend hadn’t done the proper thing and married one of his own kind.

To James Earl, Caleb hooking up with Kelly was another symptom of the cancer that had spread throughout America as a result of liberals wanting to tear down everything that good folk had fought and died for when the Southern states had sought to protect their sovereignty from Northern aggressors.  Apparently, blacks, Muslims, and foreigners weren’t only taking white folks’ jobs and opportunities away; they were taking his race’s women, too.

Six years ago, he’d begun to understand the scope of the problem. His old man had had a successful construction and home renovation business in those days but it had been hit hard after the financial crisis of 2008. The old man spent most of his nights drinking and railing against those who were ruining America like illegal immigrants, big banks, Wall Street, gay people and the useless DC politicians. Sometimes, his dad had taken his anger out on James Earl, too.

The young man then recalled always being tense around his dad. He never knew what would set the old man off.

He also remembered the day when his old man came home from his business after shutting it down for good. Even at the age of fifteen, James Earl had known defeat when he’d seen it. At first, there was talk of it just being a minor setback for them but things would look up.

Then his step-mother and his dad broke up.

She’d claimed the old man had abused her; he’d hired a PI who’d proven she’d cheated on him. After they’d divorced, his father and he had lost the house when his old man had defaulted on a business loan.

Around that time, James Earl started having problems in school because he bounced back and forth between his mom’s and dad’s apartments that were located in different cities. It had gotten so bad, he had to repeat ninth grade and had to complete the last three months of his second stint in Elkton while he lived with his old man.

The next year, he dropped out of school.

For the next few years, he drifted, getting into trouble pretty much all the time. He smoked a lot of pot then. It helped him deal with all the disruptions that his bouncing between his parents’ homes had caused for him. Soon after, since he had plenty of time on his hands, he began to read about how the white race’s rights in America were being trampled by the other races on the internet.

When he’d turned nineteen, James Earl had created his own website which included photographs of him with patches from white-ruled African governments on his clothes and others of him waving the Confederate battle flag. However, when Kelly’s father had found out about the website, the man had ordered the girl to terminate her relationship with James Earl.

After she’d left him, he lost himself in studying websites run by the Aryan Nation and the Council of Conservative Citizens, among them. Their writers had talked about the plight of real Americans and how all these other groups were trying to take their country away from them. They said real Americans had been stepped on for years and were expected to sit back and just take it. They all said the liberals, the judges, the professors from those elite colleges were disenfranchising white men. They also said some black men, particularly all those who were pampered, professional athletes, were using their money and influence to push an agenda that further beat the white man down.

However, most of all, they said the sad state of affairs in America was the fault of the foreigners. Those people came here uninvited and were taking jobs away from real Americans. They were the cause of all of society’s problems, from health care to the vanishing middle-class.

Then, yesterday, James Earl watched Supergirl and her fellow freaks attack Daniel Ducannon and the Hunter on TV. While the White Dragon and his people had only been there to counter-protest against the vast left-wing conspiracy pushed by the liberals marching in the park, Supergirl, who wasn’t even from their planet, had beat Ducannon down.

Suddenly, he swerved to avoid a taxi that had drifted into his lane without signaling. When he saw the yellow car was being driven by a foreign-looking man, his anger grew so hot he wanted to draw his .45 automatic and chase the bastard down. However, he managed to keep his cool and continued to fume over the events of yesterday’s battle in the park.

Despite the fact the Kryptonian was admittedly a total hottie, James Earl knew Supergirl’s type. As was the case with Kelly and her father, a guy like him would never have a shot at being in a relationship with someone like her. She’d always think she was too good for him.

So, when he’d received an email from a member of the Knights of the Aryan Brotherhood about a foolproof plan that allowed the strike force to avoid an engagement with NYPD while ‘making a statement race traitors, blacks and foreigners would never forget,’ James Earl had realized they’d made him an offer he simply couldn’t refuse.

Now, while he drove carefully along the boulevard, he occasionally glanced down at the street map display of the the screen of his smart phone and followed the app's verbal instructions as it guided him to his rendezvous with the members of the Brotherhood’s strike force.

#

**The Quin Hotel Penthouse**

**New York, NY, Local time 1428**

“Clark, how the hell can Midvale afford to stay in a joint like this? Did she knock over Fort Knox?”

The tall Kryptonian male in his guise as mild-mannered Clark Kent winced. The Fort Knox fiasco with Hancock and Lex was still a sore spot even after all these years. “Lois, you know Kara would never do anything like that. For Rao's sake, would you please stop embarrassing me in front of my cousin?”

Now the feisty brunette glared at her man. “What are you talking about, Smallville?! We’re in an elevator between the fifth and sixth floor. We’ve got a ways to go before we reach the penthouse level.”

He gave her a look of mild reproach. “Two words, Lois. Super. Hearing.”

“Oh, shit! I’m sorry, Kara!” she announced loudly.

Suddenly he glanced up at the elevator car’s ceiling and smirked. “Sweetheart, Kara just asked, ‘Do you kiss your father with that mouth?’”

“Actually,” Lois drawled, her lips curling into a smug smirk. “I haven't kissed that man in years.”

Clark was silent for a brief moment while Kara spoke to him. Then he grinned. “Kara said, ‘Point taken.’”

The  **Daily Planet** ’s best shared a laugh at General Lane’s expense while the elevator car continued to climb. Soon, it came to a stop and the doors slid open to reveal the glamorous foyer of the hotel’s penthouse. Standing there to greet them was Kara Danvers a/k/a Supergirl dressed in a very smart and expensive-looking, medium blue A-line dress with her lead-lined spectacles on the bridge of her nose. For a brief moment, he thought she kind of looked like a sexy-librarian in that outfit. Then, when he reflected on what he'd just noted about his cousin, he immediately slammed the door right in the face of that totally disturbing, and hopefully, fleeting notion. Still, both his super senses and his reporter’s eye for detail told him the construction of her garment was far better than the typical clothing the young woman usually wore, piquing his curiosity.

Pushing aside the mystery of her apparel for the moment, Clark smiled at his old baby sitter and called out to her. “Kara!”

“Kal!” she exclaimed and rushed forward to embrace him. Then she hoisted him up in a bear hug that would have snapped a human in two.

He returned the favor by enveloping her in a bone-crushing hug of his own. “It’s so good to see you! I’ve really missed you!”

“I’ve missed you, too!” she exclaimed. “Now let go of me so I can greet your better half properly!”

“Oh—right! Sorry!” he said and drew back from his cousin.

“Hey, Midvale!” Lois drawled when she pulled the blonde into a warm hug. “It’s so nice to see you, again. You do know you’re always welcome to drop by for a visit. I’m sure National City can get by without you for a few days.”

“Hey, Lois!” Kara said and hugged the other woman gently. “As always, thank you for the invitation. I promise I’ll come by soon. Hopefully, you won’t mind if I bring a special someone along with me.”

“Do you mean Alex?” Clark asked. “Kara, she’s a member of our family, too. Our porch light is always on for either of you.”

Suddenly, she regarded him with an apprehensive look on her face. “Um…no, not Alex, Kal. Actually, the reason I asked you both to come here today is I have some big news I wanted to tell you. Guys...I've finally found someone special to share my life with me. We’re in love and I'm so lucky to have her. Anyway, we've decided to go public like the both of you but before that happens, I wanted you to meet her!”

While Lois numbly stared at his cousin upon hearing Kara's news, he simply blinked twice and forced himself not to show any reaction that Kara might take the wrong way. Although he loved his cousin dearly and was proud of how she'd become a first-rate hero in her own right, despite the meekness she often showed the world, the head of the House of El, at times, could become angry at the drop of a hat.

Jimmy Olsen had found that out the hard way last year when he’d called on Clark to fly to National City and save Kara from Reactron. Despite the fact she'd known the villain could have killed her if Superman hadn’t stepped in to drive the man away, she’d still been boiling mad at his old friend for several days afterwards. Her stubborn, almost bordering on arrogant, pride was one of the few real differences between them. She'd been old enough at the time the two of them had left Krypton to know the family's exalted status in their home world's society while he’d been merely an infant, too young to understand any of that. When he'd arrived on Earth without his cousin, the Kents had found him. They’d been salt-of-the-Earth Kansas farmers who'd taught him that his abilities were a gift to help those in need rather than a reason to assert his superiority over others. Sometimes, Kara was like a window to his long gone home world, a world he'd never really known, a world where its rulers' myopic pride had doomed their race to oblivion.

At that moment, he offered his cousin a bright smile and said, "That's wonderful, Kara! We're so happy for the both of you, isn’t that right, Lois?"

Fortunately, his girlfriend understood the warning hidden in his voice. "Yes! We can't wait to meet her, Kara!" 

Kara grinned at them and he was relieved the situation hadn't gone off the rails. As for Kara's lover being a female, neither Lois nor he had any problem with that. Lois had always had a very liberal outlook on same-sex relationships despite her military father's right-wing views on the subject. As for himself, even though he’d been raised in a very conservative region of the country, when he was in his late teens, the hologram of his Kryptonian father had taught him all about Krypton’s society and the fact that same gender relationships were almost as common as heterosexual ones once the birthing matrix had been created on Krypton thousands of years ago. So, he shared a similar outlook on the subject with Lois.

Now an excited Kara practically bounced on the balls of her feet. “All right then! She’s waiting for us in the great room and Kal…the hotel chef has prepared a huge banquet for us! Follow me!”

Moments later, when Kara led them into the massive living area of the penthouse proper, the couple found a disturbingly familiar brunette standing there dressed in smart-looking casual wear.

“Lex Junior?!" his girlfriend snapped. "What in the hell are you doing here?!”

Fortunately for Clark, there were no flies on him. His superb Kryptonian mind had rapidly come to the conclusion that (a) his cousin’s mysterious significant other WAS Lena Luthor and (b) the furious glint in Kara’s azure eyes was the tell-tale sign that the head of the House of El was about to go Medieval on Lois' ass.

“Lois,” he said, his voice calm and low, seeking both to soothe Kara and warn off his, at times, frustratingly oblivious lover. “Ms. Luthor IS the woman who Kara loves.” Then he smiled politely at the other brunette.

Now, all the pieces of Kara's mysterious puzzle had come together for him. He'd watched his cousin's arrival at the battle in the park on the newsroom's TV and could tell she'd used a high friction hyperbolic flight path to arrive from National City to the Big Apple as quickly as she had. She couldn't have been carrying any luggage with her, so, an enormously wealthy individual who also happened to be a very close friend of hers had to have been responsible both for the fancy new dress and the swanky penthouse. Indeed, he'd bet good money that Lena Luthor had used her virtually unlimited resources to have a professional shopper deliver garments meant for Kara to wear to their decadent suite.

A moment later, he ceased his woolgathering and said, “It’s nice to see you again, Ms. Luthor.”

The Luthor responded with a wry smile of her own. “It’s nice to see you again, as well, Mr. Kent,” she replied. Then she turned and shot a hard look Lois' way. “Hello to you, too, Ms. Lane.”

Lois didn’t respond to the other brunette's cool welcome. She simply stared at the Luthor in silence.

Clark knew seeing anyone who reminded Lois of Lex Luthor had upset his girlfriend. During the battle between Lex and him, his enemy had casually shoved Lois from the top of LexCorp's sixty story building. Of course, Clark had rescued her from her fall. Once Lex had been apprehended, the man had been charged and convicted for attempting to murder her, among the myriad of other crimes he'd committed during the war between Lex and him. Even now, Lois still had nightmares of her brush with death that continued to haunt her dreams. 

"Lois," he said, "do you remember when I wrote that story about Ms. Luthor and how she was working to change the direction of her family's company to become a force for good?"

Apparently, he'd managed to snap her out of her fugue state because she answered him. "Yes."

"Well, she convinced me she was sincere then and after reading some of Kara's stories, I've seen nothing that has changed my mind about her commitment."

"Thank you for that, Mr. Kent," Lena said, the expression on her face showing her gratitude.

"Please, call me Clark."

"All right, Clark. I'd love it if you called me Lena...like you used to before."

He stared at her for several seconds before he nodded slowly. "I didn't know if you would remember me from so long ago."

The Luthor smiled wistfully at him while Lois and Kara gazed at the two of them with confused expressions on their faces. "How could I forget the young man who saved my brother's life and always made me feel so welcome whenever I visited Smallville?"

"Babe?" Kara's voice queried Lena lowly.

The brunette's emerald eyes glowed as she turned to address his cousin. "When Lex was taking a break from his graduate studies at Yale, our father sent him to Smallville to manage a fertilizer plant. On his first day there, my brother was driving his sports car too fast and accidentally struck Clark, sending both of them over the side of a bridge into the river. Clark pulled Lex out of the sinking car and saved his life. The two of them became friends after that even though Lex was always suspicious about how Clark had survived the incident without any injuries."

"I was in middle school at that time when my step-mother and I would go and visit Lex in Smallville during my summer vacations before my parents sent me away to boarding school. Lex and Clark both would often take me into town and buy me ice cream and comic books. Even though I was five years younger than you, Clark," she said to him while smiling slyly, "you and your friends, Lana and Chloe, were always so patient and kind to me. Lex told me about your secret identity a few years ago. That was before he'd been poisoned by a business rival with a neurotoxin. The poison had made him forget about the friendship he shared with you and driven him insane. After that, I told no one, not Lex, and certainly not my step-mother about your secret."

He smiled shyly at the young woman. "So...is that why you said, 'There must be some steel under that Kansas wheat' when Kara and I were investigating the _Venture_ incident?"

She grinned mischievously. "Guilty as charged!"

"Wait a minute," Lois then said. "So you know everything about Clark and Kara?"

Lena turned to Lois and drawled, "Kara Zor-El and Kal-El, two survivors who were rocketed to Earth from the dying planet Krypton. While Kal-El came here directly, Kara was lost in the Phantom Zone for several decades. Once her ship broke free from the Zone, she arrived on Earth at the age of thirteen while her cousin had grown up to become Superman. Years later, after spending time trying to live a normal life on this world, Kara decided to become a hero in her own right and protect the planet from those who seek to harm it."

Now Kara graced the Luthor with a loving smile, stepped toward her and planted a gentle kiss on Lena's cheek. Then the blonde tenderly placed her right arm around Lena's waist and turned to face Lois and him. "Lena and I have been friends almost from the day we’d met. A few months later, we both realized our relationship had grown beyond friendship. Lena has helped me save aliens from human exploitation. She's saved the lives of every alien in National City from a deadly virus her step-mother had planned to release. She did so even though it meant turning in her own step-mother to the police. Then, a few weeks ago, she led the assault to recover my foster father from Cadmus. Also, she saved my life after I'd exhausted all of my powers to keep an alien starship from leaving Earth’s atmosphere and hurtling into hyperspace. If that ship had been allowed to escape, it would have taken dozens of kidnapped aliens and my sister Alex half-way across the galaxy. Lois and Clark, Lena is, without a doubt, the best person I know."

Kara appeared to pause for a moment to allow what she'd just said to sink in although he also was happy to know that Jeremiah was safe for the moment. Then she added, "You guys are completely justified in how you feel about the pain Lex Luthor caused you. However, I assure you both that Lena is good. She's nothing like her brother and she'll prove it to you.” Kara now turned to her lover and said simply, "Show them."

Lena smiled gently at Kara before she faced both Lois and him. Suddenly, an emerald ring appeared on the middle finger of the brunette's right hand. Then she made a fist, raised it and pointed the ring at herself. In an instant, her outfit changed from her elegant casual wear into the emerald and ebony body suit accompanied by the pristine white gloves typically worn by the charges of the Guardians of the Universe. 

"Y-you're the Green Lantern?!" Lois sputtered.

"Yes," Lena replied.

"Great Rao," Clark murmured. "You're the Lantern of Sector 2814?"

The Luthor nodded.

"Abin Sur?"

"He died when his ship crash-landed in the Mojave Desert several months ago. His ring found me before he passed away. He told me the ring had chosen me to be his successor."

He stared at her for a few moments, admiring the subtle grace and majesty she exuded while she stood before them as the emerald energy of the ring rippled through her uniform. Then he turned to his girlfriend and said, "Lois, the Guardians of the Universe are the eldest, most technologically advanced race in the entire universe. The rings they provide their Green Lanterns have AI that is practically sentient, far beyond anything even the most advanced scientists of Krypton's Science Council could have ever imagined. The rings are able to scan the minds of any living creature, perhaps even an individual's very soul, and determine if the candidate is worthy of wielding the ring's virtually unlimited power. Therefore, since Abin Sur's ring has chosen Lena to wield it, she must have earned the Guardians' trust."

"That's right, Kal," Kara said. "In every meaning of the word, Lena’s a hero!" 

While he nodded his agreement with Kara's declaration, Lois asked, "What does a Green Lantern actually…do?"

Lena answered the reporter’s question then. "Each member of the Green Lantern Corps is assigned to one of 3600 sectors of the universe to deal with threats that threaten a sector or an entire inhabited planet inside that sector. Although most of us assist law enforcement authorities on our home worlds or assist with natural disasters on a regional basis, our primary charge is interstellar in nature and the Guardians created Power Rings to give us the means to do our jobs. These rings are artifacts of nearly inconceivable technology. They allow us to project emerald beams of energy into almost any object of any shape or size, limited only by our imagination and willpower. With them, Lanterns can transverse the vast depths of space almost instantaneously.  We can survive in any environment and travel through hyperspace to any point in the Universe in mere seconds or minutes as you perceive time.  Finally, the rings protect us from almost anything that could harm us. Essentially, they're the most powerful weapons in the universe.”

"Wow," Lois said, the awe in her voice plain as day. "That's...that's quite...impressive."

Clark was smart enough to keep the smirk off of his face in order to avoid any retaliation by his lover after they returned to Metropolis. _Now she understands,_ he mused to himself. Then he said, "Green Lantern, Batman told me that your partner and you were responsible for keeping the red sun laser weapons off the streets. He also said you were the one who stopped the White Martian dead in his tracks. I'm glad I have the opportunity now to thank you for what you did on behalf of Kara and me."

The beautiful woman smiled demurely. "I appreciate the thought, Clark, and please call me Lena when we're not in the public eye. However, I want you both to know I’d do anything to protect Kara, you and any member of your families. In that regard, there's something I need to tell you. My step-mother knows Kara is Supergirl and she knows I'm the Green Lantern. I believe it's highly likely she knows you're Superman, too."

He quietly absorbed what she'd just said while Lois asked, "Do you think she'll reveal all of your secrets to the world-at-large?"

Lena shook her head.  "I don't think so. Even though she's done some awful things in the past few months and she hates Clark for what she believes he'd done to destroy Lex's life, she still loves me...in her own way. After Lex had hired Corben to kill me, my mom was so angry with him, she threatened to end him if he ever tried anything like that again."

"How will your mother react when Kara and you decide to go public with your relationship?"

"I don't know, Ms. Lane. I'll probably have to track her down and have a serious discussion with her about it. I'll make her understand that Clark and Kara are forever off of her hit list if she ever wants any grandchildren. After all, I'm the Luthor heir with the best chance of having kids. And even though she's not a Luthor by birth, the family's legacy is still extremely important to her."

"Well, I suppose having dinner with your future mother-in-law will be your cross to bear, Kara," Lois teased.

"Gee...thanks, Lois," his cousin muttered.

"You're welcome!" his girlfriend responded unabashedly. Then he spied the ruthless reporter’s gleam in Lois' eye which caused his gut to experience the sinking feeling he got whenever she attempted to take advantage of some poor schmuck. "Oh, Lena, dear," Lois purred.

To her credit, the Green Lantern regarded his writing partner warily almost as if Lois was the world's most poisonous snake. "Yes, Ms. Lane?"

"Please…if we’re going to be cousin-in-laws, call me Lois. So, Lena, while we enjoy the wonderful meal this lovely hotel's chef has prepared for us, I think it would be a perfect opportunity to discuss the arrangements for an in depth interview with Sector 2814’s Green Lantern. Also, we should talk about having the **Planet** print a glowing press release about Kara and you hooking up. Why, it could come off as a modern version of Prince Charming and Cinderella. Or, a reboot of that Richard Gere, Julia Roberts movie,  Pretty Woman!”

“Um…are you comparing Kara to Julia’s character in the movie?” Lena asked.

“Hey!” Kara snapped. “Her character was a prostitute! Not cool, Lois,” she grumbled.

“A minor detail,” Lois noted. “Think of this for a headline: 'Lena Luthor confesses to falling for smoking hot newspaper reporter—‘I'm slumming it and I love it!'’”

"What?! No way!" Kara spat.

Lois laughed so hard at the annoyed look on Kara's face, she had trouble getting her words out. "All right then. How about 'National City's newest power couple is out of this world! Kara Danvers tells all about her CEO lover: She calls me Daddy in the bedroom!'"

"Are you out of your freaking mind, Lois?! And another thing...you call those headlines?! Why, they're insulting, not to mention, demeaning! Besides, why should the **Planet** get this scoop? If any newspaper is going to tell our story, it's gonna be the **Trib!** "

"Now, now, my favorite Kryptonian cousin-in-law, let's not be too hasty!" Lois soothed. "You wouldn't want your paper to be accused of a conflict of interest. Besides, I'm certain we can negotiate a mutually beneficial arrangement..."

As his cousin and his girlfriend continued their heated discussion while they sauntered toward the dining room, he sighed and turned to face a perplexed Luthor who'd just used her ring to change back into her casual wear. "Lena, welcome to the House of El where there's never a dull moment."

Smiling wistfully at him now, she wrapped her arms around his left bicep and escorted him to the dining room. "Thank you for the warm welcome, Kal-El."

"Don't mention it."

#  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this story! Reviews, critiques or comments are welcome!


	26. Captain Courageous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse, Hancock, Kara and Lena go looking for something to eat after the Parliament Funkadelic show and run across an intractable evil that plagues America in every universe.

 

**West 34 th Street**

**New York, NY; Local time 1146**

“Hey, would you look at that!”

James Earl, who’d been given the honor of driving the van that held the twelve men and two women of the Aryan Brotherhood strike force, looked out of the vehicle where Tom Jessup, the guy who’d ridden shotgun alongside him, had pointed.  He watched as a very fancy limousine pulled up to the opposite curb and four people exited from it. The first person he saw leave the car was a tall black man. He was shortly followed by a pair of fairly tall, hot blondes, one who wore a pair of glasses. Both of the skinny women were garbed in fancy-looking, dark cocktail dresses.

The fourth person, though, was a drop-dead-gorgeous woman with an hourglass figure that reminded him of one of those sexy and sophisticated _femme fetales_ , at least that's what his dad used to call them, in one of those old black and white hard-boiled detective movies he used to watch on TV. She was a brunette with porcelain skin wearing black-strapped high heels and a strapless red dress, the top of her garment ending somewhere above her biceps, revealing her shoulders and her swan-like neck along with her impressive bosom that threatened to spill out of the front of her little frock. The sight drew James Earl's gaze momentarily until she turned, allowing him to admire her tight dress while it clung to her glorious snake hips as she sashayed across the sidewalk away from their car. Moments later, she joined the other well-dressed members of her quartet and conversed with them while they strolled toward the all night diner located on the other side of the street.

Soon, the black guy held the door open for the three women before he followed them inside the establishment.

“Folks,” Tom announced, “I think we’ve found the right targets for our plan!”

James Earl nodded quietly while the other people inside the van tittered with excitement. Although he’d thought he’d be just as happy they’d found some people who’d served as the proper example to tamp down the out-of-control mixing of the races, something about this whole thing bothered him. Maybe it was because one of the blondes looked a bit like Kelly to him. Then he sighed. Sure, he’d been upset with both Caleb and her when he’d heard they’d gone and gotten married but he still liked his friend and had feelings for Kelly. Despite everything, he could never harm a hair on either of their heads.

“We’re not going to attack those folks, are we, Tom?”

The other man smiled at him and shook his head. “No, Jimmy, we ain’t gonna hurt them. We’re just going to chat ‘em up and point out to those girls that they should join us at our table instead of eating with that spear-chucker. Most likely, we’ll run ‘em out of there but we’ll get our message across to everybody in the place. And to make certain they can’t accuse us of attacking ‘em, we’ll have Tammy record the whole thing on her video camera.” Then Tom turned in his seat to address the others behind him. “Now y’all remember not to blow this thing. We’ll get close and taunt the shit out of ‘em for being race traitors and all. But none of you better hit any of ‘em, got it? ‘Cause I ain’t gonna bail your sorry ass out of jail if any of you beats the crap out of one of ‘em!”

After the other people murmured that they’d understood Tom’s instructions, he added, “All right. Tonight, we are NOT the Brotherhood. We’re members of the White Lives Matter movement. Be damned sure none of you say anything about the Brotherhood ‘cause we’re recording this. Now we’re gonna sit here for a few more minutes and wait for ‘em to get settled and order something. They’ll be less likely to walk out if they got food coming.”

While their group sat tight, James Earl’s lower back pressed against the automatic pistol tucked into the back of his jeans. Although he did not intend to draw it tonight, it never hurt to have it just in case things went south.

#

**The Skylight Diner**

**402 West 34 th Street**

**New York, NY; Local time 1146**

“An all-night diner?! Jesse, you’re my favorite!”

Lena smirked and shot a teasing look at her old boarding school roommate. “I wouldn’t let Kara’s praise go to your head, Jesse. She’d say that to anyone who led her to a place that served food that hardened the arteries.”

Jesse chuckled in response. “I don’t know, Lena. I’m kind of in the same boat as Kara regarding food choices. Considering how my metabolism works, the more calories the better. How about you, John?”

He smiled. “Well, I don’t really need to eat but I’ve always enjoyed a good steak dinner.”

“See, Lena!” Kara exclaimed. “You and your kale diet are the odd men out in this group!”

She grinned then gently kissed her lover’s cheek. “Whatever am I going to do with you, my darling?”

Her blonde lover smirked. “Love me?”

Lena kissed Kara’s cheek again. “Always.”

She and Kara had enjoyed going to see Parliament Funkadelic at the nightclub with Jesse and John Hancock. Before the show, they’d enjoyed a wonderful meal and the elder man who’d appeared to look as young as Kara had been a perfect gentleman. He actually had appeared to enjoy their company. Then the show had started and both of the blondes’ inner fangirls had come out to play. When Kara hadn’t dragged her and Jesse hadn’t dragged John out on the dance floor, the tall blondes were together, grooving to George Clinton’s funk while, Lena had suspected, garnishing the attention of nearly every male and some of the women in the joint.

During their time at the club when she’d smiled to herself as she’d watched her soulmate and her good friend having the time of their lives, John and she had talked lowly to each other. He’d revealed he’d known both Kara’s and her secrets due to his own super senses (his keen sense of smell had told him the perfume that Green Lantern and Supergirl had worn was the same as that worn by Lena and Kara, respectively). She’d been actually grateful for his insight and had made a mental note to tell Kara that they both had to stop wearing perfume or using any scented cleansers on an ongoing basis. Then she’d told him about the League and he’d expressed his interest in working with Jesse, Kara and her.

However, the most interesting thing she’d uncovered at the club was how the look on John’s face when he’d watched Jesse dance with Kara matched what she’d imagined was the expression on her own whenever she’d gazed at her Supergirl.

Now the limousine pulled up to the curb in front of the Skylight Diner. Hancock exited the vehicle first and gallantly held out his hand to help each woman out of the car. While both of the blondes struggled to keep from using their super speed to race into the diner, John took several long strides to reach the entrance. Then he held the door open while the women thanked him for his courtesy.

Soon, the restaurant’s hostess showed them to a table in the classier addition to the old fashioned diner while Lena hung back a little bit to ogle the sexy sway of her lover's tight ass as Kara walked in her high-heeled sandals. She admired how the Reem Acra leather sheath dress that Lena’s clothing buyer had brought to their suite perfectly displayed the beauty and refined power of Kara’s luscious legs. Then she shook herself from the fog of her lust for her soulmate and joined her companions at their table.

Both blondes told the hostess to immediately send their waitperson to their table. Moments later, a middle aged woman appeared with four menus. “Hello, folks,” the woman said. “I’ve brought your menus for you.”

“Thank you,” Jesse said. “We’re kind of hungry.”

From her seat beside Kara, Lena watched her girlfriend nod fervently and smiled. She thought Kara looked as cute as a button whenever she couldn’t wait to place an order for her food!

“Do you need some time to look over your menus?” the woman asked.

The blondes shook their heads. “I’ll have one of everything!” Kara exclaimed.

“I’ll have what she's having,” Jesse said.

The woman gawked unabashedly at both women then blinked thrice.  “You both want one of everything that’s on the menu?”

“Well, no, we did have something earlier, so we’re not THAT hungry,” Kara explained. “What I meant to say is I’ll have one of everything from your entrée column.”

“That sounds good. That goes for me, too,” Jesse said.

“Um…do you want me to serve your orders all at once?”

Jesse chuckled.  “Nah. We don’t want our friends to wait on us. Just bring separate orders out whenever they’re ready. Oh, we’ll both have two glasses of Dr. Pepper each, right, Kara?”

“Yes, please!”

Now the shaken woman turned to Lena while the CEO shook her head in amusement. Fortunately, her American Express Black Card™ had no limits, which came in handy whenever she had to pay for her best girls’ meals.

“What would you like to order, ma’am?” the woman asked her.

“Just a cup of decaf coffee, please. Oh, do you have real cream here? I’d prefer that to those little plastic containers of half and half.”

“Of course, ma’am. I’ll also bring you some sugar, too. And you sir?”

“I’ll have the sirloin dinner, medium rare.”

“That comes with two sides you can pick from the list on the menu.”

“All right then.  I’ll have the rice pilaf and broccoli.”

“Anything to drink?”

“Do you serve Coke here?”

“Yes, we do, sir.”

“Great, I’ll have a glass of Coke.”

“Very good, sir. Thank you and I’ll be right back with your drinks!”

A minute or so after the waitperson had left to place their orders, a large group of people entered the diner. The crowd of people meandered their way toward several tables behind the table Lena shared with her friends and lover. Everyone in the group were dressed in black windbreakers and black jeans. Several of the men pushed three of the tables together and the members of the group seated themselves around the long table.

When the waitperson arrived with their drinks, Lena’s thoughts turned away from the group and after she’d received her cup of coffee, she poured in some cream and added a teaspoon of sugar. After yesterday's battle in the park, maybe Bruce's and her idea about the League they wanted to form was exactly what the world needed at this point in time. Although John Hancock or Kara probably could have defeated the four villains alone, the casualties among the innocent would have probably been much higher if only a single super powered hero had tackled them. Besides, it felt good to know someone had your back while fighting, even though Lena winced inwardly from the guilt she'd felt from having Kara see Captain Nazi's metal friend almost knock her block off on live television. She then sighed heavily to herself. She shouldn't have allowed her anger at seeing him kill that poor woman affect her judgment like that. She couldn't save anyone if her carelessness allowed her opponents to destroy her, too.

Now her mind turned away from the lessons she'd learned during the battle. She mindlessly stirred her beverage while Hancock and she amiably listened to Kara’s and Jesse’s friendly argument over which Parliament song, (Not Just) Knee Deep or Aqua Boogie, was the best one. Then a man at the long table called out to them. “Hey, ladies!”

A wary Jesse glanced over her shoulder at the man. “Are you talking to us?” she asked.

He nodded right before an ugly smirk dawned on his face.

Jesse then turned back for a second to face Kara and her before she rolled her eyes in disgust. While Kara and Lena chuckled at the annoyed expression on their friend’s face, Jesse turned around and shot a glimpse the man’s way. “What do you want?”

“Do you know who we are?”

Jesse shook her head. “Nope. I don’t have the slightest idea who you are, and, frankly, I don’t care to know. Enjoy your evening,” she drawled and turned away from him.

“We’re with White Lives Matter,” he announced.

Then one of the women in the group said, “That’s right. Why don’t you girls leave that chain dragger and eat with us. We’ll make room for you.”

Lena suddenly noticed the expression on her girlfriend’s face harden as it had when they’d faced down the White Martian a few months ago. “Thanks but we’re good right here,” Kara said.

“What, you bitches think you’re too good for us?” one of the men growled.

Now she narrowed her eyes at the man who’d slighted them. How dare he call Kara and Jesse that! She seriously entertained the idea of leaping out of her chair and confronting the idiot right then and there before she felt Kara’s hand gently squeeze her thigh under their table.

“Lee, just ignore them. I don’t think they’ll start something while we’re in the diner,” Kara whispered.

She nodded slightly to let her girlfriend know she’d heard what Kara had said. Then she noticed that Jesse had basically done the same as Kara in regards to keeping John in his seat.

Soon, when a few items that Kara and Jesse had ordered began to arrive, the blondes’ moods improved considerably. Meanwhile, another woman showed up at the group’s table. Lena overheard the woman telling them they had to order something if they wanted to stay in the diner. The woman, who probably was the night manager, also told them if they continued to disturb any of the customers, she’d kick them out.

Moments later, several members of the group ordered cups of coffee while a few others ordered some light meals. Then Lena tried not to grin when several of the men and both women at the long table gawked openly as more food continued to arrive for the famished blondes at her table.

#

Most of the members of the strike team had been inside that damned diner, fuming for almost an hour while the three white women and the black guy at the other table had ignored them. In his case, though, he really hadn’t been mad; he’d been amazed! He couldn’t believe his eyes as he’d watched the pair of fashion-model-thin blondes pack away all of that food as if they’d been brown bears planning to hibernate to survive a long cold winter!

Moments later, the waitperson brought the check for the people at the other table to settle their account. In response, Tom had gathered the checks of everyone in their group and placed enough cash on the table to cover the bill.

Once the other people stood up to leave, James Earl’s group followed them outside onto the sidewalk. Moments later, the members of the strike force rushed forward to place themselves between the limousine and their targets. However, he felt something about this whole business seemed off. It was then he realized the three women and the black man didn’t appear to be either scared or worried.

They just seemed to be annoyed.

Now the blonde without the glasses glared at them. “What in the hell is wrong with you people? If you know what’s good for you, you’ll get the hell out of our way,” she spat.

“Oh, yeah?” Rebecca snapped at the woman. “Who’s gonna make us move? You stick-figure, race traitor bitches?”

“Look,” the black guy said. “We don’t want no trouble, all right? Nobody wants things to get out of hand and have the cops come around and start busting heads, you know what I’m saying?”

“Maybe you should have thought about that before your four-eyed bitch insulted Tammy by turning down her invitation to join us!” Tom yelled.

Although neither the black guy nor his girlfriends seemed to be afraid of James Earl's group, the girl wearing the glasses moved slightly forward to place the brunette behind her. However, the slightly shorter woman squeezed the blonde’s hand and stepped forward to stand at the other woman’s side.

“Hey!” one of the guys in his group shouted. “Look at four-eyes and the lady in red, holding hands and all! I think they’re lezzies!”

Rebecca scowled at the two women. “That figures! If you’re lezzies, I’m glad you didn’t come to our table!”

“You don't say?” the brunette in the red dress snapped. “Well, I’m glad we didn’t come to your table, either!”

“Oh yeah?” another guy from his group snapped at the brunette. “Well, fuck you, bitch!”

Suddenly, the girl with the glasses somehow had moved from where she had been standing faster than his eye could see to get in the face of the guy who’d cursed at the brunette while still keeping anyone from attempting to get around her to reach the woman in the red dress. “Back the hell off…right now! Let us pass,” the angry woman gritted out through her teeth.

In the next moment when the guy attempted to strike the angry blonde, he hoped Tammy had turned off her video camera so there wouldn’t be any recording of the assault.

He need not have worried about that possibility, though. Somehow, the tall blonde had stopped the blow and shoved the guy so hard he bowled over three other guys who’d been unfortunate enough to be standing behind the man.

That’s when everything went to hell in a hand basket. Three other men launched themselves at the black guy. One guy punched the dark man squarely on his chin. Yet the only thing that happened was the guy who had thrown the punch fell down to his knees howling that he’d broken his hand. In the meantime, the black man smacked the heads of the other two guys together, knocking them out cold.

Meanwhile, Rebecca tried to slap the blonde who didn’t wear glasses in the face. Somehow, she missed the other woman completely. Then the blonde slammed a fist into Rebecca’s stomach causing the Brotherhood woman to crumple into a heap on the sidewalk.

“Dammit, you idiots, I told you no fighting!” Tom screamed before the blonde with the glasses sent another man flying. Then the airborne guy struck the group’s nominal leader, knocking Tom down and out for the count.

Now James Earl turned to look at the pale skinned brunette. Two guys had managed to get around her blonde defender to attack the woman in red. However, when the first guy reached for her, she grasped that man’s wrist, thrust her hip into the man’s leg, and judo-tossed him to the hard sidewalk. Then she twisted out of the other man’s grasp and fired a hard elbow under the man’s chin, knocking him out.

Finally when the blonde without the glasses knocked Tammy down to the ground, James Earl realized he was the last man standing. Then when the big black guy took a step toward him with a crazed look in the man’s eye, James Earl drew his handgun from where he’d kept it nestled against his back and aimed it at the man.

The black guy pulled up then but looked him square in the eyes. “Hey, man. Take it easy with that thing, all right? There are still some people in that diner. You don’t want to kill anybody. You fire that gun and somebody gets hurt or dead, we’re talking about a long stretch in prison.”

"Put the gun down now!" a harsh voice said off to his right. He caught a glimpse of the blonde woman who’d been shielding the brunette out of the corner of his eye. She had taken off her glasses and both of her eyes were glowing as red as a pair of stop lights. She stood there and he was in awe. She looked like the Wrath of God and she’d come for him! He almost shit himself as he turned the gun on her.

“W-what…w-what in the hell are you?” he stammered. “Y-you’re…some kind of alien!”

“She’s my friend,” the calm, steady voice of the brunette called out in the still of the night. Then the woman slowly stepped out from behind the blonde’s back and gently stroked her left hand down along the other woman’s right arm.

“Lee?” James Earl heard the question in the blonde’s voice.

“Let me handle this, _a rúnsearc_ ,” the brunette said. Then she gazed fearlessly at him and asked, “What’s your name?”

“Why should I tell you that?" he shouted.

“I just wanted to know who I was talking to," the woman explained. "My name is Lee."

“Jimmy,” he said.

“Jimmy…look, I think you know we didn’t want to start any trouble. We just wanted to eat in peace and go home. Now I think some of the people who were at your table wanted to start something but I don’t think you were one of them. When the others insulted my friends, I noticed you didn’t join in with them.”

“T-that’s right.”

She nodded. “Then when that guy tried to hit my friend, you didn’t attack us.”

“H-he shouldn’t have tried to do that. Nobody was supposed to get hurt. We were only supposed to call out race traitors!”

“Race traitors? Are you saying we’re in the wrong for dining with a friend of ours who happens to be black? Are you telling me you’ve never been friends with someone who’s not the same race as yours, Jimmy?”

He blinked twice as memories of his friendship with Caleb flitted through his mind at her words.

“Jimmy, can you tell me what this is all about?"

“It’s all those aliens, queers, and immigrants who are causing problems for everybody. They’re trying to take everything from real Americans!”

“I don’t think that’s true, Jimmy. I’ve met a few aliens, some members of the LGBT community and people who've come to this nation from other countries. It's been my experience that most of them are just trying to fit in and get by. I suppose that’s true about a lot of people.”

He thought about his dad then and nodded. “I-I guess so.”

“Look, I think you may be a little confused and need to think some things through. Like I’ve said before, my friends and I don’t want any trouble. We don’t want to have this situation get any worse than it is and involve the police. If I promise that my friends and I won’t attack you, do you think you can put your gun away?”

“Y-you promise?” he asked.

She nodded.

He chanced a glance at the black guy. He hadn’t moved a muscle during the time the woman in red had been talking to him. He’d stayed in front of the other blonde, apparently shielding her with his body. Then he shot a look at Lee's blonde. The woman's gaze no longer had that hellish glare to it. Now, without her glasses, he noticed the amazing crystal blue color of her eyes. She, too, had not moved an inch from her spot beside the brunette.

“O-okay,” he said. Then he reengaged the gun’s safety and slowly moved it back to its place at the small of his back.

Lee released a sigh of relief and said, “Thank you, Jimmy. We’re going to leave now. I don’t know if you want to stay and help these people or if you just want to run as fast and as far as you can away from them. I can tell you it would be a big mistake on your part if you continue to think they have your best interests at heart. They told you they weren’t looking to physically harm anyone and they lied. People like them prey on your fears, Jimmy. They want you to believe that the scary ‘other’ is out to get you. However, it’s been my experience when you think for yourself you realize people like my friends aren’t your enemy."

“Lee,” the blonde standing beside the lady in red swept aside her beautiful hair, cocked her right ear toward the diner and said, “The manager just called the police.”

“Did she tell them about the gun?” Lee asked.

“I don't think so.”

The brunette nodded then gazed at him. “Jimmy, you’d better get out of here before the police arrive. They don’t react well when they find people at a crime scene who are armed.”

When he turned to run away, the lady in red called out. “Oh, and Jimmy?”

“Yes, ma'am?”

“Don’t let me find you with people like them,” Lee indicated his fallen comrades with a sweep of her hand, “again. If I do, I won’t be this nice the next time and I'll make you eat that gun. Do you understand me?”

When he saw the serious-as-a-fatal-heart-attack look in her angry green eyes he grew more frightened now than he’d been at the sight of her friend’s blazing red orbs. Then he nodded once, muttered, "Yes, ma'am," and raced off into the night.

#

Once Jimmy was out of the range of normal hearing, Lena turned to Jesse and said, “Go after him. Make certain his gun is inoperable but let him keep it.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the speedster said before she slipped off her heels and sped off.

Ten seconds later, Jessie returned to the spot where she'd left her shoes. Then she reached out with one hand and placed it on John’s shoulder while she used the other to slip her pumps back onto her feet. “I removed the firing pin and placed it in John’s left coat pocket.”

He laughed. “Wow! I barely was able to see you when you decelerated but I didn’t even feel you slip your hand inside my pocket. You know, Jesse, you could moonlight as the best pickpocket in the world,” Hancock said as he opened the door to the passenger compartment of the limousine, allowing the women to enter the vehicle.

Once he was inside the car the driver pulled away from the curb. Then Jesse said, “Well, it’s always good to have another vocation on hand if the economy ever goes south again,” she quipped. She now turned to Lena. “Oh, and ‘Lee?’” she teased before she turned serious. “Nice job back there. You handled that situation without exposing our secret identities.”

Lena then noticed that Kara appeared to be sulking. “Darling, what’s wrong?”

“Jesse’s right. You were fantastic back there. I was the one who almost blew our covers.”

She shook her head and gently took her lover’s hands into hers. “You did no such thing, Kara. All he suspects is that you’re an alien. He doesn’t know that you’re Supergirl and he has no idea what your secret identity is. I’m just glad you didn’t have to use any of your powers or that we hurt any of them so badly the police would have no choice but to ferret us out. I just hope none of the people who were still in the diner captured any video of us on their smart phones. If someone did, at least, the recordings won’t show we used any super powers.”

“Hmm,” Kara hummed.

When Lena noticed Kara still looked a bit down in the dumps, she asked, “Kara, is there something else bothering you?”

The blonde nodded sullenly. “You didn’t use your ring to protect yourself.”

She blinked twice before she responded. “That’s right.”

“You could have been hurt or worse, baby.”

She sighed. “If I’d activated my ring, we’d have definitely been outed. When the ring goes online, it always emits a green glow. I couldn’t have hidden that.”

Jesse glared at her. “You weren’t shielded when you talked that guy down? Were you out of your freaking mind, Lena?”

She shook her head. “Kara, Jesse, Jimmy didn’t really want to hurt anyone. He only drew the weapon when he thought John was going to beat the crap out of him.”

Hancock winced. “Yeah, that was my bad. I just didn’t want any of those people to hurt you ladies.” Then when he saw their smirks, he chuckled. “I know, considering who you ladies are, I should have known you could take care of business yourselves.”

“Actually, John,” Jesse said, “you showed admirable restraint. Except for the guy who punched you in the jaw, nobody got hurt badly. I’d happily work with you any time.”

“The same goes for me,” Lena added while Kara nodded her agreement.

“Thank you, ladies. And Lena? I’ve met a lot of heroes during the past ninety years or so and let me tell you I’ve never met anyone braver than you.”

She blushed. “Well, thank you, John, but that’s actually not true. Last year, Kara had lost her powers for a day or so and she faced down and persuaded an armed robber to surrender his handgun to her without any of her powers.”

Kara gasped. “How did you know about that?”

She smiled at her soulmate. “James told me. He showed me the picture he’d taken of you that day. Kara, darling, I don’t know if I’d have the courage to do what you did.”

“You just proved you do, Lee.”

She shook her head. “Not really, darling. Keep in mind, I had John, Jesse, and you there. I knew you all had my back.”

A moved Kara uttered something between a sigh and a sob as she grabbed up Lena, Jesse and John in a tender group hug. And as Lena basked in the glorious radiance of her one true love, she noticed that both Jesse, and surprisingly, John, appeared to be as moved as Kara, too.

#  
  
---  
  
**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this story! Reviews, critiques or comments are welcome!


	27. Aegis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara and Lena have a serious falling out after the Daxamite flagship arrives in search of Mon-El and there may be a race between the Daxamite queen and Supergirl's girlfriend on who gets to kill the Girl of Steel first!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A tip of the hat to the author gveret for providing me with inspiration for portions of this chapter. That author’s story, _Did You Absolutely Have To_ is a funny story where an overly dramatic and a somewhat...extra Lena may come across, not on purpose mind you, as a tad…super-villainy at times.

**Lena’s and Kara’s Penthouse**

**0802 Local Time**

_"Did Little Luthor forgive you yet?”_  Alex asked over the phone while Kara used her super-hearing to listen to her sister slip the alien hand gun she'd liberated on Slaver's Moon into the holster likely strapped to Alex's right thigh.

Kara shook her head in response before she remembered her sister couldn’t see her gesture through their connection. “To tell you the truth, I’m not certain, Alex. She asked me to come to her office because she wanted to show me 'something.'”

 _“Jesus, Kara, that’s exactly what a pissed off lover who also happens to be the baby sister of a mass-murdering psychopath who wants your super-powered cousin to take a dirt nap in the worse way says before she lures you into her fiendish death trap!" Kara almost could see her sister resignedly shaking her head in Kara's mind's eye. "Your people could have learned a lot from Darwin because they obviously didn't develop a keen instinct to survive, did they?”_  Alex then sighed dramatically.  _“Besides, I'd bet she's probably still pretty bent out of shape about what happened the other day at your place and, Kara, I gotta tell you, I’m with her on this.”_

If Alex was siding with the woman who'd continually defiled her baby sister on an ongoing basis as Alex would say, things were looking pretty grim. “Look, I thought I had backup!” Kara explained. “Who knew Mon-El would have been so useless?” she grumbled.

_“Um…Lena, Arisia, James, Winn, J’onn, Jess, Lyra, Steve, Susan, Jesse, John, Livewire, Lillian, Lois, Clark, Lucy, Bruce, all of the baristas at Noonans, Maggie, me and pretty much half the population of National City had known that.”_

Her voice cracked a bit. “Alex…I know I really messed things up with Lee. She…she didn’t come home last night,” Kara admitted while she tried hard not to sob out loud.

_“Sweetie…she called you this morning, didn’t she? That's a good sign. I'm sure she wants to see you. Look, last night, she probably needed some space to clear her head, that’s all. What I know for certain, though, is Lena loves you more than life itself!”_

Kara was comforted somewhat by Alex’s words right before the whole, sordid mess replayed in her mind’s eye.

#

It had only been a week or so after they’d return from their trip to the Big Apple when a Daxamite flagship appeared high above National City. The Daxamites had demanded the humans surrender Mon-El to them or face the consequences. Unfortunately for the invaders, the two Green Lanterns stationed on Earth had not taken kindly to their threats. After Lena and Arisia told them to back the hell off unless they’d wanted their impressive ship scattered throughout the void in thousands of tiny pieces, the Daxamites had decided to discuss the matter over dinner with Mon-El and Kara.

During dinner, Kara had found out Mon-El had lied to her friends and her about his identity and that the royal couple hosting the meal were his parents. Then he’d totally ruined the rest of the evening for everyone when he disclosed he’d fallen in love with Eve Teschmacher and told his parents he wanted to remain on Earth.

For some unfathomable reason, Rhea had decided to blame Kara for Mon-El’s decision. So, the elder woman had placed a bounty on her head. Almost immediately thereafter, several interstellar scum had come to Earth to kill her and collect Rhea's reward. Fortunately, both Lanterns had helped her defeat the hunters. However, when they'd found out about Rhea's contract on Kara’s life...well…

#

_“Those Daxamites are history!” Lena growled. “Come on, Arisia. Let’s blow them out of my sky!”_

_“Lena, wait!” Kara snapped._

_“For what, Kara? That bitch put a contract out on your life! She’s not going to get away with a slap on the wrist; Arisia and I are going to end this—once and for all!”_

_“Lena, please, let Mon-El and me talk to her first. We’ll agree to meet her in the Fortress of Solitude and settle this peacefully. I think when Mon-El helps her understand he’s happy here, she’ll want what’s best for him and return to Daxam.”_

_Lena shook her head angrily. “No, I’m not on board with that! That woman is a snake! She lied to your face about the bounty hunters when she and her husband met you at the bar. What’s to stop her from stabbing you in the back?”_

_“That’s a chance I have to take.”_

_Her lover then narrowed her eyes behind her domino mask. “No, actually, Kara, you don’t have to risk your life. Let Arisia and me handle this. The Daxamites don’t want to do anything to upset the Guardians and have the Corps breathing down their necks.”_

_Kara shook her head. “Lena…the reason they’re here is because of their connection to me. Mon-El arrived here in a Kryptonian pod. Their world was ravaged because my people continued our destructive practices which led to the complete destruction of Krypton and the ecological nightmare Rhea’s people are now facing on Daxam. Maybe I can help her see there’s no reason to transfer the old hostility between her people and the Kryptonians to the people of my adopted homeworld.”_

_Her lover didn’t appear to be convinced by her declaration. However, Lena said, “All right. However, Arisia and I are coming with you.”_

_“No. They’re already wary of the Corps. If you’re there, they’ll probably want to bring a platoon of soldiers down to protect Rhea. Besides, I don’t want to worry about looking out for your safety while I’m trying to deal with Mon-El’s mother.”_

_She’d realized that had been the wrong thing to say almost as she’d said it. First she saw the pain followed swiftly by the anger in Lena’s exquisite eyes. “Why are you in such a hurry to die, Kara? Is the thought of sharing your life with a Luthor so unbearable for you?”_

_“Lena! No! That’s—”_

_However, when her soulmate angrily turned away, activated her ring, took flight and phased through the wall, Kara realized she’d blown it big time._

_And, she had no idea how to repair the damage she’d done._

#

When Rhea had stabbed her in the thigh with a kryptonite blade and raised the other dagger to deliver the killing blow, Kara had regretted that her last memory of Lena would be the sight of the pain she’d caused to her lover earlier reflected in her soulmate's glorious green eyes. As Kara resolved herself to defiantly glare at the queen and prepared to rejoin her family in Rao's light, an emerald energy construct in the shape of a battering ram had slammed into the Daxamite woman’s chest and sent her flying.

Later, Arisia had told her that after Lena retrieved a weapon from her lab, they'd used their rings to follow Kara and cloak themselves from detection while they stood sentry nearby. Against Lena’s better judgment, they’d waited to see if Kara’s plan would work and had only chosen to intervene shortly after Rhea betrayed the pact. That realization had humbled Kara. Even as angry as Lena was, she'd decided to give Kara the opportunity to see her plan through instead of rushing in to prove her wrong.

Meanwhile, as Arisia tended to her injuries, Lena had advanced on Rhea while holding a hefty lead bat in her hands and a look of disdain that reminded a frantic Kara of the expression on Lillian’s face when Lena’s step-mother had taken Kara prisoner.

In the next heartbeat, a livid Rhea had engaged her super speed to launch an attack on Lena. In response, Kara had almost fired her heat vision to try and protect her Lantern yet she’d hesitated for fear of accidentally striking her dauntless lover.

So, when Lena swung her bat so fast even Kara had a hard time seeing it, she’d gaped in awe as Lena’s mighty blow sent Rhea reeling.

Meanwhile, Arisia had removed the blade from her thigh, encased it in a small emerald globe and phased it outside through one of the Fortress’ walls. Then she’d seen the stunned look on Kara’s face and chuckled mirthlessly.

#

_“Zor-El, you do realize that Lanterns travel through space at supraluminal speeds. The rings enhance our synapses and our senses so we can react accordingly. So, while Jesse and you may be fast, Lena and I are much faster!”_

_Kara nodded woodenly while she watched her girlfriend methodically beat Rhea to a pulp._

_When the queen was unconscious and lying broken at Lena’s feet, Kara was afraid her girlfriend was going to finish the woman off. So, she called out to her lover. “Lee.”_

_In that moment, Lena turned away from her annihilated foe, dropped the bat and rushed to her side. “Kara! Are you all right?”_

_“She’s going to be fine,” Arisia said while her ring bathed Kara in artificial sunlight. “What should we do with her majesty?”_

_“Take that…woman,” Lena growled and Kara almost swooned from the smoldering anger radiating from Lena’s eyes, “back to her ship. Tell her husband they have fifteen Earth minutes to leave this star system and never return. If they’re not gone by then, we’ll destroy the ship and everyone aboard.”_

_Arisia nodded her agreement right before she shot a look Mon-El’s way. “Are you staying or going?”_

_“I’m staying,” he said._

_“Got it,” the alien Lantern said before she englobed Rhea in a ring construct and took flight, phasing both the battered queen and herself through the Fortress’ wall._

#

After Lena delivered Kara to the DEO and left her in Alex’s capable hands, she’d flown into space to join Arisia and ensure the Daxamites had left the system. When both Lanterns returned to the DEO building, Lena had vacillated between coddling her and scolding her about being a “self-sacrificing idiot.”

Later that evening after they went home, Lena hadn’t spoken much, causing Kara to worry.

The next morning, when she awakened, Lena was gone.

She’d flown to LCorp then and scanned the entire building with her x-ray vision. She’d also listened for the cherished heartbeat of her sweet love but Lee was nowhere to be found.

Afterwards, Kara had spent the entire work-day concerned about Lena’s whereabouts until Jess called around seven that evening.  

The assistant had told her Lena was busy putting the finishing touches on an important project and wouldn’t make it home that evening. Jess had then said Lena would call her in the morning before the assistant terminated the call.

So, this morning, when she received her lover’s call after having spent a restless night without Lee in their bed, she’d been ecstatic. That is, until Lena had spoken to her in a kind of seductive or mildly sinister way depending on one's perspective.

#

_“Kara…come to my office. I’ve got something I need to show you.”_

_“Lee! Thank Rao! I’m so happy to hear your voice! Baby…I am so, so sorry for what I said the other day to you at the penthouse. I hope you’ll give me a chance to make it up to you.”_

_“Okay,” Lena said simply. “Just get here as soon as you can. Oh, and don’t bring your wallet or any loose change. Also, wear one of your normal, 'I've-seen-the-softer-side-of-Sears' work outfits, too!”_

_“Um…okay. Um…what do you want me to see, Lena?” a frowning Kryptonian asked. That crack about her wardrobe really kind of hurt!_

_"Come and take a look for yourself," Lena purred. “Bye, darling.”_

_After her lover had terminated the call, Kara stared at her smart phone while an ominous sense of dread began to creep into her very soul._

#

 _“Ha ha! You are **SO** screwed_!” Alex observed in response to Kara’s recitation of Lena’s kind of disturbing call.  _“Oh, and by the way, where in the hell did your little leaguer find that lead Louisville Slugger?”_

“Arisia told me Lena had made it in her secret lab shortly after we’d started dating. Arisia said she doesn’t remember much about why Lena had made it. She recalled, at the time, Lena murmured something along the lines of, ‘Mon-El—yadda yadda—creepy stalker—yadda yadda—concussion.’”

 _“I see,”_  Alex drawled _. “Now Lena wants you to come to her office so 'she can show you something?' I bet it’s a green kryptonite bat she’s fashioned for your sorry ass!”_

"My girlfriend is not planning to beat me up!”

_“I wouldn’t bet the farm on that if I were you, spacegirl! Frankly, I’m surprised she didn’t use her freaking ring on you after what you’d said to her at the penthouse. Kara, you need to realize she’s just as much of a hero as you are and respect her as your partner.”_

“I know, Alex. I really screwed things up and I’ll do anything to make it up to her!”

_“Good. Make certain you tell her that, hopefully, before she makes like Wile E. Coyote and unleashes her Acme Supers Death Trap--trademark pending--on your Kryptonian ass!”_

“Alex, Lena’s not a villain! She’s good!”

 _“Kara, ‘good’ people don’t call you early in the morning and tell you to come down to a building owned by the sister of the nutjob who, again, I remind you, tried to whack your cousin on numerous occasions and, while you’re at it, leave your wallet with all of your identification at home, too!’”_  Alex breathed in a voice that sounded more like a parody of Marilyn Monroe’s than Lena’s.  _“I wouldn’t be surprised if she had a kryptonite scalpel alongside her kryptonite bat so she can remove the fingerprints from your freshly-beaten corpse before she dumps your sorry ass in a landfill.”_

"You’re not actually worried she’s going to harm me, are you?”

Her sister laughed over the connection.  _"Nah, I’m just messing with you! Kara, that woman loves you madly! I saw it plain as day when she saved your life and brought you back to me on the deck of that starship. By the way, I’m still traumatized after your frakking pervert of a girlfriend forced me to witness her defiling of my baby sister on that damned ship, too! Trust me, there isn't enough bleach in the world to wipe those images out of my freaking mind,”_ she grumbled.

Kara said nothing. She simply smiled at the fond memories.

#

**LCorp Building, 40 th Floor**

**0846 Local Time**

Kara almost forgot to breathe after Jess had led her into Lena’s office where she found the love of her life waiting for her. Lena was dressed in a white lab coat, a pair of black sweatpants and clean room slippers. Her normally well-groomed and impeccable hair was contained loosely in a somewhat ragged ponytail with errant strands that hadn't seen a shower in a day and a half. Meanwhile, Lena's pale skin appeared even more insipid than normal from over-exposure to the fluorescent light of some less well lit area of the building. Despite all of that, Kara still believed Lena was the most beautiful thing the Kryptonian had ever seen in her entire life.

She missed seeing Jess roll her eyes at Lena and her but she heard the woman grumble, "Useless lesbians," under her breath moments before Jess exited the room and closed the door behind her.

Afterwards, Kara gazed lovingly at her Lee. “Hi.”

“Hello,” Lena said then graced Kara with her come hither look. Her Lantern then reached one hand out toward her. Almost immediately, Kara rushed forward and clasped Lena’s hand in hers. Now an endearing smile lit up her brunette angel's glorious face. “Come with me, love,” Lena whispered as she drew a small fob from one of her coat pockets and pressed a button on the device. Suddenly, one of the bookcases located against the far wall slid aside, revealing the doors to a secret elevator Kara had never seen before.

“Lena…when did you install that?”

“Oh,” her girlfriend murmured, her body movements a bit twitchy.  _Oh, God,_ Kara bemoaned to herself _, she gets like this when she’s had too much coffee!_  “It’s always been here,” Lena said. “I installed it after I purchased the building.”

“Really? How come I haven’t noticed it before?”

“Hmm,” Lena hummed. “Maybe because the whole thing is lined with lead.”

“Lead! Why’d you do that?”

“Well…when I had it built, I didn’t know you. Also, I didn’t want any Kryptonians, in case you missed a few during the Myriad affair, to find the entrance to my secret lab and gain access to my special projects. Do you want to see what’s down there?”

Kara could have sworn she heard Alex’s voice inside her head.  _Yeah, Kara. Nothing to worry about here. "Why don't you come into my parlor?" said the spider to the fly._

On the other hand, it was kind of hard to focus on her apprehension while Lena held her hand. In fact, she really wanted to do a lot more than just hold hands. Maybe she could kiss Lena—in Lena’s lab.

"Sure," Kara said.

Her girlfriend beamed at her and led her into the elevator and down forty floors.

Soon the elevator arrived at a level deep underground. As the doors slid open, Lena led her into a hallway that looked much like the one in the opening sequences of that old  _Get Smart_  TV show. After a minute or so of walking down a long corridor and waiting for various security protocols to recognize Lena’s biometrics to open several reinforced hatches, deactivate several red sun laser and particle beam weapon defense systems, and extend a retractable bridge over a tank full of man-eating hammerhead sharks _(wait a minute...are those red sun neural impactors mounted on harnesses that fit over the sharks' heads?)_ , they finally arrived at a hatch that reminded Kara of the one that had protected Cerebro in the old  _X-Men_  movies. Then Lena leaned over and allowed the door’s security system to perform a retinal scan.

The hatch, which… _was that reinforced titanium?_ …Kara mused to herself, slid open and revealed a sleek metal-walled laboratory that looked like something out of one of the fictional Tony Stark’s wet dreams.

“Wow,” she whispered. “Lee…this place…well, it’s beautiful!”

Lena grinned. Normally, Kara loved to see Lee’s grin almost as much as the woman’s infamous lip bite. However, today, the blonde found the grin kind of troubling when coupled with the manic, caffeine-enhanced gleam in Lena’s eyes.

The brunette now led Kara over to a mannequin with a futuristic look to it. Draped on the figure appeared to be a white sports bra and a pair of boy shorts that looked exactly like the brand Kara wore under her super suit.

“Lena…is…that my underwear on display in your secret underground laboratory?”

Her lover tilted her head to one side and regarded her with a bemused expression. “Kara…the way you asked sounds like you believe I’ve done something…salacious!”

“Um…er…I-I d-didn’t m-mean...to say…er...that...y-you…did anything…um…t-that was naughty…or anything—”

"Kara...hush," Lena cooed as she gently placed an index finger over her lips, silencing her. "I was just joking. Actually, I've wanted to show this to you for a long time but I wanted to make certain I got all the bugs out." Then the expression on her lover's face darkened like a storm cloud had blocked the sun. "Kara...I'm so sorry. It's my fault you almost died the other day. I’m so ashamed of myself for even thinking you wanted to die and leave me to live my life alone."

"What?!” Kara gave her lover a sad look then. Now she recognized the fear that had led to Lena’s anger that day and she had to let her know how much she needed Lena to be with her, always. “Baby, many years ago, I lost my entire world. I thought I'd never really find another, a world I could truly call my own until I met you, Lena. Now, _YOU_  are my world. Anywhere you are is my home and I never, ever will leave you. You will always have my heart." 

Although Lena smiled at that, she still seemed a little shaken. "You're my world, too, Kara, and I want to do everything I can to keep you safe. Until now, though, the DEO and I haven't provided you with the protection you need. To make up for that slight, I've been working on this project for some time. Yet things kept getting in the way. And, because of my lack of attention, you almost died. Can you ever forgive me for failing you, my darling?"

Kara hugged Lena close and whispered, "Lee, you’ve never failed me. I don’t think that’s even possible. You've worked so hard to move past the difficulties you've faced with your family, to become one of the protectors of the universe. I want you to know I thank Rao every day for giving me the best partner anyone could ever hope for."

"Kara," Lena said with tears of joy in her eyes. "My heart belongs to you, always."

"I love you, Lee," she whispered as she nuzzled her nose into her beloved's hair and savored the scent she cherished above all.

After they'd comforted each other, Lena chuckled lowly, gently shoved Kara back a bit and stared deeply into her eyes. "Now…strip."

She shot a deer-caught-in-the-headlights look at the brunette. "Are you suggesting we have make up sex in your laboratory?" Her look then changed to a slightly concerned one. "You don't have the security cameras rolling, do you?"

"No," a smirking Lena said. "Although I've turned off the cameras, we aren't going to make love in my lab. However, I do want you to remove all of your clothing and dress in the garments that are on the mannequin."

Kara blinked twice, said nothing and complied with Lena's request while the brunette watched with...dare she say...a salacious expression on her face.  

Once Kara was dressed in the underwear Lena had provided, she noticed that the material wasn't cotton. It appeared to be a kind of flexible metallic mesh. "Hey, this material feels different from cotton but I kind of like it. What is it?"

"It's a fibrous wetweb of titanium, lead and platinum that stores neurokinetic user-controlled morphologic nanoparticle bundles."

Kara blinked at Lena like an owl and said nothing.

The brunette stared at her for a moment before she sighed. "I'm sorry, darling. I forgot your scientific background on Krypton involved life sciences rather than engineering. I modified some nanotechnology I'd developed in a startup bioscience company I’d started with an old friend before I’d taken over LCorp with information I gleaned from my ring's alien technology database to fashion the basis for your new uniform, a battle armor, if you will. The undergarments will transform into your new super suit at your mental command. Once activated, and when you are in your secret identity as Kara Danvers, the armor can take on the appearance of any outfit you own based on images it's captured of you wearing particular articles of clothing stored in its data banks.  That's why I asked you to wear an outfit you normally wear to work. Once you entered the lab, it scanned your body and stored the image. As for your lead-lined glasses, I've programmed the wetworks to form a container that will protect them from harm."

"You made a suit of armor...for me?" Kara squeaked.

When Lena bit her lip, Kara couldn't help but stare at her lover's luscious mouth. "Yes," the brunette said before she pressed another button on her fob.

Although the metamorphosis of the skimpy underwear into a bitching-ass suit of battle armor took less than a second in real time, to her Kryptonian eyes, the change looked as freaking awesome as the scene from the _Iron Man 2_ movie where Tony Stark suited up on the race track to take down the Russian dude armed with the electric whips. Even now, Kara imagined that she heard the heroic electric guitar, brass and the choral soundtrack from the movie inside her head as the armor formed over her powerful frame.

Kara watched her reflection in the mirror as the collar on the sports bra expanded upwards to encircle her neck with a reinforced ring while the sleeves rolled out over both arms and hands to finish by enclosing both of her hands along with all of her fingers inside metallic mesh gloves. Then the bra and boy shorts extended over the rest of her body below her neck to form a reinforced chest piece with her family crest in its center while the shorts expanded into a pair of full-length micromesh leggings. Shortly thereafter, the top and bottom fused together to form a utility belt which contained two glowing disks on either side of her hips while a pair of knee high boots expanded upward from each foot. The boots also had glowing disks on each section where her knees met her lower thighs and appeared to be placed in those locations to provide reinforcement for her joints. The _pièce de résistance_ was the long red cape trimmed with a yellow band that sprang out behind her from the reinforced shoulder pads on either side of her chest piece.

"This...is...so...COOL!" the blonde gushed.

Lena regarded her with a mildly amused twinkle in her exquisite eyes. "Do you really like it? I designed it to maintain your old uniform's color scheme and to provide you with maximum protection in a lightweight package."

"I love it!" Kara exclaimed. 

Lena smiled brightly at her. "You don't miss the skirt?"

"Nah. It had been more Winn's idea to add it to the uniform than mine. Oh, Lena…this is...well…it's so...awesome! Now tell me everything! What do these glowing disks do?"

"They're miniature tokamak reactors that serve to power all of your battle armor's functions."

Kara just stared at Lena for a moment before she smiled and chirped, "Oh, they're arc reactors like the one on Iron Man's armor!"

Lena shook her head. "Kara, don’t be silly! Arc reactors aren't real! They're just comic book pseudo-tech!"

Kara simply stared at Lena. "Lee, they're arc reactors, right?"

"No."

Kara raised both of her blonde eyebrows at her girlfriend then. 

Lena then surrendered, sighed resignedly and muttered, "Yes, darling, they're arc reactors."

Kara grinned. "Cool!" Then a very happy Supergirl crinkled her brow, bounced on the balls of her feet in joy as if she'd just received the best Christmas gift ever and shot a 'tell-me-more-about-this wonderful-new-toy" look at her brilliant mad-scientist girlfriend.

In her best 'Yes, I'm a fucking engineer!' voice, Lena explained, "The collar of the armor contains a generator that produces a force field around your entire body. The shield activates automatically above an altitude of a hundred thousand feet or upon your mental command. Its harmonics have been programmed to allow you to use all of your vision powers without allowing your opponents’ energy blasts to strike you or the armor. The suit also channels the gravitons your body produces so efficiently you'll easily be able to control your flight through outer space. The armor also has an environmental system that recycles your respiration and waste products to allow you to operate in any environment. I added lead to the wetworks to shield you from any and all kryptonite radiation so no one will be able to do what Rhea did with those daggers to you ever again. Also, the force field will shield you from the effects of a red sun while your 'arc reactors' filter the plasma energy to produce yellow sunlight which would maintain your powers if you ever faced another Slaver's Moon-type of scenario. The armor also is equipped with storage containing high nutrient supplements to keep you nourished at all times. Finally, the nano-machines draw power from your ’arc reactors’ and use the energy to self-repair any damage the armor takes during combat almost instantaneously." 

Now a completely gob smacked Kara stared at Lena.

"Kara...are you all right?"

"Am I all right?!  No...I’m freaking fantastic! You are, without a doubt, the best, most awesome girlfriend in the entire freaking universe!!!" the blonde squealed.

"Thank you, darling!" a beaming Lena drawled. "So, do you want to go and take your new armor out for a spin?"

"Sure!"

Soon, they left the lab, walking-hand-in-hand, then strolled out into the corridor and back the way they'd come toward the elevator which would take them straight to the roof of Lena’s building.

#

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this story! Reviews, critiques or comments are welcome!


	28. "I Knew We Should Have Taken That Left Turn at Albuquerque..."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse Quick and Arisia travel to Bolivia to help the legendary Wonder Woman investigate the disappearance of an archaeologist friend of the Amazonian princess. However, the three heroes get into serious trouble and find themselves far from home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note to readers: both Jesse and Arisia met Diana when they helped Kara and the Amazon deal with the volcano in the Sea of Java in Chapter 20.
> 
> Also, the mature rating of this story comes into play near the middle of this chapter which is probably NSFW. I will place a spacer of stars above and below the NSFW part for those who only wish to read the SFW sections. Thanks!

Chapter 28

**Zeta Beam Chamber**

**Under what will become the Tiahuanaca Pyramid**

**40,000 years in the past**

Emerald.

Gold.

The golden one had become immortal half a century after she had traveled thousands of light years to a distant planet when her homeworld had been destroyed due to the short-sightedness of her own people.

The emerald one had joined her lover in everlasting life when she'd symbiotically merged with the eldest sentient being in all of existence.

They’d left their homeworld in the middle of the 23rd Century after everyone they'd loved, with the important exception of their two children, had died.

The lovers wandered among the stars for several millennia before they'd returned home sometime at the turn of the 700th Century. During their odyssey, they had become greater than either the Old or New Gods had ever been, with knowledge, abilities and skills acquired from across the breadth of the universe. Upon their homecoming, they had entered into a covenant with their descendants and bestowed upon them a fraction of their power so long as their scions would continue to fight the never-ending battle for truth and justice. Then, once they’d forged their covenant, the lovers returned to the golden one’s Fortress of Solitude in the center of their homeworld’s sun, though, often, they could be found frolicking on the surface of the dark side of the Moon or in the space between Mercury and Venus to the public chagrin yet private amusement of their immortal offspring who believed their parents were too cute. The siblings, actually, were ecstatic that their parents had returned to the Solar System to stay.

One day, using a minuscule portion of her power cosmic, Ion and the golden one, who most sentient beings during the 700th Century and beyond, with the exception of their offspring and the twins' spouses, simply called Prime, transported themselves to the distant past in the guises of the Atlantean deities, Deedra, the goddess of nature, and Jheryl, the goddess of truth and knowledge. While her golden lover smiled beatifically at her, the emerald one hovered through the air and pressed the face of the alien artifact she'd continued to wear even though it had long been superfluous into the face of the stone. Once the imprint was in place, she'd set into motion that events that would lead to the timeless and epic love affair that awaited them in their glorious future.

**Tiahuanaca Ruins, Bolivia**

**Present Day**

**Local Time 1014**

“I can’t believe Wonder Woman wanted you to come to Bolivia to help her!" Jesse Chambers exclaimed. "I mean, she is so amazing it's hard to believe she'd need help handling anything!” The effusive woman paused momentarily before she added in a conspiratorial whisper, "You know, I wrote an entire chapter about her in my Master's thesis!"

"You don't say."

"And now I get to hang out with her, twice in the same year!"

Now the alien Green Lantern turned and shot an askew glance at her friend as they were ensconced in their safety seats while they traveled inside the energy construct bubble generated by her ring. At that very moment, they were high in the virtually cloudless azure sky over the nation of Bolivia hurtling toward their destination. She then regarded the speedster with a bemused expression on her elvish face. “Actually, the Princess told Lena and me she needed a Green Lantern to assist her with something and since Lena had to attend one of her board meetings, I volunteered.” 

"Even so, I know Steve can’t wait to hear about you helping the Amazon Princess later on tonight when we're out on our double date together."

A sly smile dawned on the golden skinned woman's face. "No shit. The men in his family really are fixated on the Princess!"

"Maybe so but I know that man is even more fixated on you!"

She nodded her agreement then grew quiet. 

Perhaps it was unfortunate that humans were sexually compatible with her species. The first time Steve and she had copulated, she'd begun to realize that maybe she had gotten in a little over her head. Shockingly, the sex had been freaking awesome. At first, she'd considered the possibility that maybe it had been an extremely lucky fluke and they’d come crashing down to Earth, so to speak, the next time around. However, a few days later...

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_Steve was a big man. During their dates, she'd vaguely noticed it because she was used to looking up at most people. But lying down with his body covering hers, it was quite evident. Now she grinned inwardly and pressed her face against his shoulder as he thrust inside her, stretching her opening deliciously wide._

_Despite the difference in their sizes, she fit him completely. They'd sparred together over the past few months and he'd molded and shaped her for him without her realization of it. It struck her at that moment that she knew his body almost as well as her own, that they'd started this dance the moment they'd first faced each other in the gym on his base._

_Soon, she raised her legs and wrapped them around his hips, allowing him to ride her higher. Her sex pulsed around him and she felt her release as she danced along the razor's edge of her fourth orgasm. Then Arisia sucked in a breath that was so hard her entire mouth tingled. "Steve!" she gasped._

_Suddenly, he slid a hand under her bottom and angled her hips until her engorged clit rasped against his pubic bone, barely keeping his own crisis in check until she felt the rush of her impending implosion. Then he let go, pressing himself hard against her as they both came._

_When she drew in a languid breath as her body relaxed, he whispered tenderly, "You shine brightly even in a dark room," and she smiled in response against his cheek._

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Now, after having returned from her pleasurable trip down memory lane, Arisia sighed heavily. One day soon, the Guardians were going to tell her that Lena wouldn't require a trainer any longer and dispatch Arisia back to her own sector of space. Although she’d miss her student…well, actually her partner now, she had no doubt that Lena was ready to go solo. The Terran woman was perhaps as strong as Sinestro, Tomar Re and Arisia herself, and the teacher was immensely proud of what Lena had become.  Yet, the one thing she hadn't counted on was to become so connected to Steve Trevor in such an embarrassingly short amount of time. 

Suddenly, Jesse derailed her train of thought. "Hey...are you okay?"

She smiled perhaps a bit too brightly. "Yeah! Sure! Nothing to worry about here! I was just thinking I can't wait to meet John. I saw him on the video broadcast display at Steve's place when you fought against those bad men in New York City. He's quite tall and handsome."

"Yeah...he is at that," Jesse agreed with a dreamy smile on her lovely face. "He's also quite the gentleman. At times, though, he seems a little lost for some reason. Apparently, his former mate—wife—whatever did a real number on him when she guilt tripped him for losing his memory after some prejudiced bastards split his skull and nearly killed him after they’d become mortal when they were in close proximity too long. At least, that’s what he told me. Actually, I’m kind of surprised he was comfortable enough to share that with me. Arisia, for a man who might be even stronger than Kara's cousin, it's surprising how gentle he is with me. And he's really different from a lot of guys I’ve known. He’s far more interested in listening to what I have to say than talking about himself. It's kind of...nice, you know?"

She smiled warmly at her tall companion because Steve treated her that way, too. “I think I do, Jesse.  By the way, thanks for tagging along.”

“Not a problem, girlfriend. I’m happy to go anywhere with you!" The alien grinned warmly at her human friend while the speedster sighed wistfully. "You know, when I was a kid, Wonder Woman inspired me so much! She was really the first superhero, a role model for women everywhere. She’s been fighting the good fight for nearly a century!”

“You don’t say?" Arisia drawled with a tiny smirk on her face. Although she was about to tease her friend a bit over being such a fan-girl of the Amazon, the Green Lantern was secretly just as impressed with the woman as Jesse was. With her legs for days, abs that even gave Kara's a run for her money and flowing dark brown hair that always looked perfect even when the woman hovered over boiling hot magma during the time they struggled to contain the erupting volcano in the Sea of Java, the Princess cut a very striking figure indeed.

"Jesse...the Corps has been protecting the universe for more than three billion years. Why, Mogo’s been on the job during most of that time, so I think it’s safe to say she’d win the longevity title over Princess Diana.”

“Wow,” Jesse breathed. “That is a hell of a long time! So, Mogo’s people are practically immortal?”

Arisia chuckled. “She isn’t really a person, Jesse. Mogo is a planet, a sentient living world all her own.”

While her stunned friend contemplated the wonder that was Mogo, she spied the clearing next to the ruins where Diana had asked them to meet her. Soon, she set their energy construct down and willed it away when they saw the Princess approach them garbed in her Amazonian armor.

"Arisia! Jesse! Welcome to Tiahuanaca!" the tall demi-goddess announced in her husky voice with her exotic and alluring accent. 

"Thank you, Diana," she said while her gaze panned across the cross-shaped pyramid that, at first glance, appeared to be birthed from a hill. Moments later, after she'd scanned it with her ring, she’d determined the earthen mound had been entirely man-made with a mixture of large and small stone blocks and Tenon puma and human heads studding its terraces. "This appears to be quite...ancient in comparison to most places I've seen on your world," Arisia noted, hopefully in a manner that wouldn't imply she really thought the place was quite a dump and insult the Terran warrior princess.

"That's true, Arisia. However, a colleague of mine who I believe disappeared in connection with a certain chamber located below the pyramid you see before you thought it may be far older than the structure above it."

"Are you investigating your colleague's disappearance, Diana?" Jesse asked.

"I am," the Princess answered. "Batman suggested I work on developing my observation skills along with my deductive reasoning to help battle crime when evil-doers manage to escape apprehension at the scene of their wrong-doing. My colleague, who often worked as an archaeologist for my museum, had recorded some interesting observations about the chamber he claimed predated this pyramid by more than 45,000 years. Shortly thereafter, though, he disappeared from the face of the Earth. That was two years ago. No one has seen him since then."

"What's his name?" the speedster asked.

"Adam Strange. He was a pleasant man. We often talked whenever he found his way out of the field and presented his findings to the curator responsible for ancient South American artifacts at my museum. His outlook on the world reminded me so much of Plato's. Not only was Adam a reputable scholar and researcher, he was a genius at mathematics and calculus, as well."

"Although I'm sorry your friend has been missing for so long, why did you need me to come here?" Arisia asked.

"There's a slab that appears to have a keyhole in the shape of the face of your Power Ring. Rather than attempt to force the entrance myself and possibly destroy any artifacts or evidence that might lead me to Adam, I thought having you insert your ring into the impression may open it for me."

"Wait a second," Jesse snapped. "Are you saying that this impression may be more than 45,000 years old?! Who in the hell could have had dealings with Lanterns on Earth so long ago?”

Diana smiled provocatively and leaned toward the speedster appearing as if she was prepared to share a juicy secret with her. “Adam believed the chamber may have been built by the ancient Atlanteans.”

“What?! Atlantis was real?”

Diana nodded. “Indeed it was. Although Man’s World has very little information about it, the library on my island home still maintained records about the ancient ones. From what I recall, it was a continent located in the North Atlantic where the earliest and most highly advanced society the Earth has ever known was developed. The records stated that Atlantis owed its existence to both mysticism and science. While the rest of the world had yet to benefit from inventions such as the wheel, the Atlanteans had already created highly advanced technological wonders. Legend has it they even had managed to combine science and sorcery to create the world's first spacecraft. This vessel is thought to have left our planet some 50,000 years ago. Some have speculated the crew of this craft may have populated worlds that orbit other stars.” She then paused to draw a breath then added, “If the chamber below was built by the Atlanteans, it would be a magnificent discovery for Man’s World and a perfect legacy to Adam.”

#

Fifteen minutes later, the three women arrived at the entrance to the mysterious chamber. They all were quite disturbed upon their arrival when Arisia informed them her ring was unable to scan through the slab that sealed off whatever was behind it nor would the ring allow her to phase through the slab to take a peek at what was on the other side. The Lantern had never experienced a situation where her ring wouldn’t allow her to pass through anything before.

Now, Diana pointed toward an impression in the slab with her elegant index finger. “There, Arisia. That is where the possible keyhole is.”

“All right then. Here goes nothing,” the petite woman said as she strode boldly toward the stone and pressed her ring into the form.

Suddenly, the energy from her ring was drawn into the impression and flowed deep inside the slab. Then they heard a loud noise like the sound of the stone of a massive sepulcher scraping against granite as the barrier slid into an opening in the artificial hill.

Soon, the three heroes gazed in wonder inside a dimly lit room with a raised dais in its very center and a matching circle on the ceiling directly above it.

“Well, ladies,” Diana whispered, her sharp gaze darting all about the chamber searching for any signs of danger. “I suppose we should examine the room to look for anything that might show Adam had been here.”

“Do we have to?” Jesse whined.

“Oh, come on, you big baby!” Arisia teased. “You’re fast enough to run on water, Wonder Woman is with us and I have the most powerful weapon in the universe! I think we’ll be just fine.”

“Yeah, well, when the shit hits the fan, and it always does in our line of work, I just hope I live long enough to say I told you so,” the speedster grumbled as they cautiously entered the chamber.

Once inside, they proceeded slowly toward the other side, scanning the room carefully. Moments later they stepped onto the dais and began to cross it while glancing upwards at the circle above their heads.

When they approached the center of the platform, they began to hear an incessant humming noise like thousands of bees had completely surrounded them.

Now they shot concerned looks at one another. “Arisia, Jesse! Ru—!” Diana began to scream a moment before everything around them appeared to be cast in a light as bright as the surface of the Sun.

#

“—n” Diana completed her cry before Arisia felt the rush of a breeze and a sprinkling of dew on her face.

Now they were standing under the open sky on top of a dais that appeared to be the same as the one from the chamber except they were on a grassy plain surrounded by stone slabs that reminded her of some ancient ruins located in a place a video documentary had identified as England that she’d seen on Lena’s video broadcast display several weeks ago.

A moment later Jesse gasped and whispered, “I don't think we're in Kansas any more, Toto."

"Who in the name of Zeus is Toto, Jesse?" an exasperated Diana asked. "And why did you mention Kansas? We were never in Kansas. The pyramid is located in Bolivia."

"Don't be so literal, Diana! Jesus, learn some pop culture, why don't cha?" the speedster snapped. A moment later, Jesse's face paled. "Look!" she whisper-shouted while she pointed up into the sky. "Do you guys see what I’m seeing?”

Arisia nodded sullenly as she turned her gaze up from the setting sun to stare at the _three_ moons nestled overhead in twilight’s approaching gloom.

“Fuck,” Jesse noted woodenly.

“Shit,” Arisia hissed.

“Ladies,” Diana murmured while she studied the satellites that shined in darkening sky. “I couldn’t agree with you more.”

#

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this story! Reviews, critiques or comments are welcome!
> 
>  
> 
> _*The title for this chapter is a line from an old Warner Bros. Bugs Bunny cartoon when Bugs puts a hurting on the Abominable Snowman.*_


	29. "What's the Situation?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The three star lost heroes find out where they are and discover they've just jumped from the frying pan into the fire. The Guardians of the Universe send the cavalry and Lena allows her inner Luthor to come out and play when she goes all badass on some poor, dumb schmuck before she, Supergirl and Hancock fly to the rescue.

**Unknown Planet**

**Local Time Unknown**

“Well…I would say the feces has officially struck the oscillating air machine and we’re presently knee deep in it.”

Arisia Rrab smirked at her friend, Jesse Chambers. “Oh, please! We are not in that much trouble. The ring will soon figure out where we are based on the position of the stars up in the sky. So, no worries. Besides, things could be so much worse.”

The speedster glared at her then rolled her eyes. “Oh, man! Now you’ve really gone and done it!”

“What did I do?”

Then Diana’s dark chuckle caused both women to turn toward the Amazon Princess. “I believe what Jesse means to say is that anytime someone says ‘things could be so much worse,’ the situation inevitably takes a turn for the worse.” When Arisia and Jesse continued to glare at the princess, Diana met their gazes with a challenging one of her own. “You see? I am versed in your popular culture, Jesse Quick!” Then her gaze turned toward the horizon.  “Silence!” Diana whispered harshly. ”I hear something on the winds.” Then she gave them a grim look. “Whatever it is, it is coming toward us.”

Shaking her head, Jesse sighed resignedly. “I just want to remind you both before it’s too late that I’d told you so back when we were in the chamber under that freaking pyramid!”

Arisia regarded her companions with a determined expression on her face. “I’ve just activated my ring’s emergency distress beacon which will alert the Guardians to our position. If trouble is heading our way, we just have to hold out long enough for them to send Lena and any Corpsmen who may be on Oa to help us.”

“From your lips to Zeus' ear, Arisia,” Diana said with a supportive smile. “Has your ring determined what planet this is yet?”

Before she could answer the princess, the tall blonde speedster grumbled, “Dammit…I’ve seen all those sci-fi movies about aliens. You know how they are. I’ll just bet they’re coming to hug our faces or suck our brains out!”

Arisia shot a droll look at her human friend. “I think I’m deeply offended.”

The scarlet and gold garbed woman smirked at her. “You know I wasn’t talking about you, especially in regards to face hugging, right? We’ll just leave that stuff to Kara and Lena, if you know what I mean,” she added with a suggestive lifting of both eyebrows.

While the Green Lantern shook her head at the latest example of her friend’s quirky sense of humor, Diana observed, “Actually, to the denizens of this world, WE are the aliens.”

Arisia floated off the ground, hovered several feet overhead and erected a protective shield around them, while the speedster snapped, “Really not the time to appreciate the irony, Princess!”

Moments later, twelve forms roared down from the sky toward them with what appeared to be rocket packs on their backs. They were humanoids, Arisia could readily tell from their appearance. They were garbed in skintight EVA suits of a variety of primary colors. Most of the figures who appeared to be males were holding what looked to her to be handguns of an advanced design while a few held weapons that reminded her of rifles. All of the men now viewed them through tinted visors.

Arisia prepared to speak to the men when one of them, a man who looked to be fairly tall and fit with a clean shaven face and dressed in a red suit trimmed with white asked, “Miss...um...the one with the golden hair wearing the white and green outfit; are you a Green Lantern?”

She shot a puzzled look at the man because she understood him without having the ring translate what he’d said. “Yes, I'm a representative of the Guardians of the Universe.”

“Thank God!” he exclaimed. “Your Guardians certainly work fast! We only sent out the distress call a little while ago.”

“Adam? Adam Strange?” Diana called out to the man who’d spoken to Arisia.

He appeared to study the Amazon for a few moments before he gasped. “Diana! Diana Prince! Is it really you?”

The princess’ smile was almost bright enough to slice a swath through the approaching twilight. “Indeed it is, Adam! I am so happy to find you here in good health!”

“Diana,” he said as he landed gently on the ground in front of them while Arisia dropped her large protective shield and replaced it with personal ones that shimmered around Diana, Jesse and herself. “You are a sight for sore eyes! When I activated the transporter after I’d found it, I never thought I would ever see anyone from back home again! We detected the Zeta Beam’s activation and given the current crisis, we had to come and investigate to see who’d used the transportation pad to arrive on Rann.”

“This is the planet Rann in the Polaris system?” Arisia asked.

He smiled at her. “Yes, although, I’m from Earth. Of course, that’s quite obvious seeing how Diana's been a good friend of mine for many years. But there’s something I don’t understand. We had no idea your Guardians had the ability to tap into Rann’s Zeta Beam interstellar transportation system. How could they use it to send you all here so quickly?”

The Green Lantern shook her head then said, “They didn’t send us, Adam Strange. We found the pad in the underground site on your homeworld.”

“The same chamber I’d discovered in Bolivia?”

She nodded. “Somehow, we inadvertently triggered the device and wound up...well...here.”

“That's incredible! I don’t know how the transporter back home could have accidentally sent you here but your timing couldn’t be better. Rann faces destruction at the hands of a cosmic force beyond even its advanced scientific capabilities.”

“What’s happening here?” Jesse asked.

“Starbreaker has come to Rann,” Strange said ominously.

In response, Arisia Rrab, the normally happy-go-lucky Graxosian who’d inherited her Power Ring after the demise of her beloved uncle as a teenager twenty years ago, now regarded Adam Strange both with a dauntless and resolved expression on her lovely face.

“What’s the situation?” she asked calmly.

#

**The Planet Oa, Sector 0**

“What do you think the Guardians want us to do, Tomar?”

Tomar Re, the orange-skinned Xudarian who, from the neck down, possessed the body similar to a very muscular human male and a head that was a cross between a Terran bird of prey and a frilled marlin, flew toward the Guardian’s sanctum sanctorum alongside his long-time friend, Sinestro of Korugar. The Corpsman of Sector 2813 simply shrugged and said, “I suppose we’ll know after we see the exalted ones, my friend.”

The red-skinned humanoid chuckled. “Where has your scientist’s insatiable curiosity gone, Tomar?”

Tomar shot a wry glance at his companion. “It remains where it’s always been, Sinestro. However, I see no reason to employ it when we will obtain our answers soon enough.”

His friend grinned at his response and he smirked. It was kind of funny, he mused, how people so different had formed such an unshakable bond. Sinestro, Abin and he in a sane universe should never have gotten along. Sinestro had been a social scientist before the ring had chosen him. Abin Sur had been a history professor/philosopher, a natural born teacher. He’d been a physicist on Xudar before he’d don the Corpsman mask and uniform. While Sinestro was proud, almost bordering on arrogant and Abin had been attuned to the mystic yet humble, Tomar had always been grounded in the ways of science and order. He had never had any reason to question the Guardians, even after their decisions had appeared to lead to the only mission Tomar had ever failed during his more than a half century of service in the Corps. Although they had told him the Universe had obtained a favorable outcome from that debacle that even the exalted ones had failed to foresee, he still couldn’t accept their absolution when he’d been responsible for the destruction of an entire planet and its people.

Soon, they phased through the titanic doors that opened into the Chamber of the Guardians of the Universe and alighted on the pristine floor. Seated behind the elevated U-shaped conference table were twenty-four of the white haired or bald elders of Oa, the legendary Guardians themselves. Now one of the red robed humanoids spoke to the Korugarian and him. “Tomar Re, Sinestro, you are both to proceed to the planet Rann in the system of Polaris immediately.”

A grim Sinestro stared up at the spokes-being for the Guardians. “What’s the situation?” he asked coolly.

“Starbreaker is assaulting the system as we speak. Normally, the creature strikes before we are able to bring a sufficient amount of force to bear. In the past, he has appeared to have gone out of his way to avoid a confrontation with the Corps. On this occasion, however, fortune appears to have favored us this once. Lantern Rrab is, for a reason beyond our ken at the present time, currently on the planet Rann. When you are on your way to Rann, we shall dispatch the other Lantern assigned to that sector, Lantern Luthor, to join you after she has completed her current battle.”

“Still, why did Lantern Rrab go to Rann without Lantern Luthor? If the situation occurs in Lantern Luthor’s sector is it not her responsibility?” Tomar asked. Although both Sinestro and Arisia had spoken highly of the Terran woman, he was concerned that she’d allowed his former trainee, Arisia, to stand alone against the infamous cosmic vampire who’d fed off of the destruction of inhabited worlds.

The Guardian shook his head. “After today, that shall be no longer the case, Lantern Re. For now, we want you both to understand that Lantern Luthor will be in command of this mission since Polaris is in her sector. Both of you and Lantern Rrab shall defer to her in all things. Once all four of you have returned from Rann with Starbreaker in your custody, we shall discuss our new edict with you at that time.”

“Then with your permission, Guardians of the Universe, we shall be off,” Tomar said.

“Go with our blessings, Sinestro of Korugar and Tomar Re of Xudar!”

The two Corpsmen nodded to the Guardians before they willed their personal shields into place, floated into the air and sped toward the nearest wall where they both phased through it. Then they accelerated up into the bright orange sky.

#

**National City, Planet Earth**

**Local Time 1236**

“Green Lantern!”

The man who was enveloped in a yellow energy field similar to the green one that currently surrounded Lena Luthor shot an askew glance at Supergirl when he heard the Maid of Might’s scream while he was focused on throttling the brunette woman’s neck. “Sorry. She can’t talk right now ‘cause she’s too busy dying.”

So engrossed in his attempt to kill the Weaponers of Qward’s target, he missed the blazing red glare in Kara’s eyes.

“Not…gonna…happen,” Supergirl growled right before she fired her heat vision at the man’s face.

“Aggh!” Alexander Nero screamed when the beams struck him, causing him to release a coughing Lena’s throat. Even through the powerful force field generated by the yellow Power Ring fashioned by the aliens that had chosen him, the former resident of a psych ward, to wield it, he could feel the skin on the left side of his face blister. Then he glared at the Kryptonian and snapped, “What kind of a superhero are you?! Superman would never do that to anyone!”

Kara glared at the idiot as if he was crazy. Although, she avoided going to the extremes whenever possible, she didn't have a hard and fast code against killing like her cousin had. Of course, working with a government agency like the DEO gave her more cover if she was forced to kill in order to protect the lives of National City's citizens. However, a few things that pushed her to the point she'd terminate an opponent with prejudice is if someone tried to kill either her sister or Lena. So when her super hearing had registered the impact of the man's energy beam against Lena's shield while John and she had been waiting for Lena to arrive for their lunch date, she mentally commanded her outfit to transform into her armor a second before she raced off of their balcony ahead of John to Lena's rescue.

Now she said to red headed man, “I’m not him. And if you touch her one more time—”

However, Kara didn’t have the opportunity to finish her threat because Hancock had appeared on Nero’s blindside and thrown a powerful punch that struck the shielded villain so hard the man’s body cratered into the paved alleyway a hundred feet below.

“Hey, Supergirl!” the ancient hero called out with a grin. “Stop stealing my lines!”

She smiled at him then checked on her soulmate. “Lee,” she whispered, “John and I heard that bastard ambush you with our super hearing and came as fast as we could. Are you okay?”

Kara almost pulled away from her girlfriend when, instead of finding Lena’s normal jade green eyes, emerald fury blazed in their place.

“No, I’m not ‘okay,’” Lena snapped. “I’m pissed!”

Then, almost faster than either Hancock’s or Kara’s eyes could follow, the Green Lantern streaked down to the pavement where an already recovered Nero stood up inside the crater and faced her.

“All right, _àthán!_ " she spat her Gaelic curse at him. "I don’t know why you attacked me when I was minding my own damn business but you have just succeeded in gaining my undivided attention. Now, if you know what’s good for you, I’d recommend you surrender now and tell me who gave you that ring before I take it from you.”

“I don’t need to tell a soon-to-be dead woman anything, Lantern!” he screamed then fired a beam fashioned to penetrate both her shield followed closely by her body.

“Suit yourself,” she replied and met his beam with one of her own.

As their energies clashed against each other, he gritted his teeth and poured more of his willpower into his attack. She, though, showed no outward signs of stress as she steadily approached him, continuing her onslaught without any doubt or hesitation.

Moments later, he raised his left hand and grasped his right forearm while he struggled to increase his concentration. Perspiration now beaded his forehead and threatened to trickle down into his eyes. Meanwhile, his masked nemesis merely narrowed her blazing virescent eyes while she strode forward.

His desire to kill her was now replaced by desperation and the faint hope he might survive this forlorn battle.

Now, she was only a few feet away and still relentlessly advancing upon him. Then, when she began to lecture him, his mental defenses crumbled.

“Your constructs tell me you’re both an artist and a madman. You have plenty of imagination but you’re comprehension is painfully lacking. Compared to me, you’re an amateur. Think on this. I soar effortlessly through the cosmos. I contemplate quarks and muons in my sleep. Journeys through black holes are child’s play for me and I create wormholes and traverse through them on a mere whim. Nero, attacking me was a mistake of epic proportions for you. I hope you've learned your lesson.”

Then her shielded right hand closed around his ring hand and she squeezed, breaking fourteen of the twenty-seven bones in that appendage.

"Class...dismissed," Lena said coldly to her crushed foe. 

#

When both Kara and Hancock heard the cracking of the man’s phalanges with their super-hearing, followed shortly by Nero’s scream, all the blood drained from Kara’s face while a wide-eyed Hancock whispered lowly, “Daammnn…”

#

Minutes later, the three heroes had dropped Nero off at the DEO. Shortly before they’d arrived at the building, Lena had stored the man’s yellow ring in a fractal inside hers.

Now she shyly regarded both her friend and her lover. “Kara, John, thank you for bailing me out with Nero and I’m really sorry that man made me miss our lunch date. I truly was looking forward to it.”

For some reason, her girlfriend and Hancock seemed a bit…on edge.

“Um…no problem, baby. I put it in the fridge for you. You can have it anytime you’d want.”

Just as she was going to suggest they go and dine now, her ring projected a holographic image of a large headed blue humanoid. “Lantern Luthor, we watched your battle with the human who wielded the yellow ring and we were…impressed with your performance. We believe it was constructed by our counterparts in the antimatter universe, the Weaponers of Qward. We want you to bring it to us so we may study it once you have completed your mission on Rann in the Polaris system.”

She nodded and asked what Arisia had taught her was always the first thing a Corpsman says to reassure anyone that he/she/it would deal with the problem.

“What’s the situation?”

“Your partner, Lantern Rrab, along with your friend Chambers and the Amazon princess, were somehow transported to that world. At present, Rann is under siege by a cosmic entity known as Starbreaker. We will provide you all the information we have on the creature during your transit to Rann. When you arrive there, you are to take command of the mission. After you defeat him, you are to escort the villain to Oa in the company of Lanterns Tomar Re, Sinestro, and Rrab.”

“I’m going with you, Lena,” Supergirl announced then.

“And you both ain’t leaving here without me if Jesse’s up the creek without a paddle,” Hancock added.

“Kara, John—”

“Lee…they’re our friends, too. It looks like you’re stuck with us, Green Lantern.”

The Luthor smiled at her companions then nodded solemnly. Now she turned back to the Guardian’s image and said, “We’re on it.”

Moments later, the image faded away and she formed an energy construct bubble around the three of them. Soon the bubble rose high into the blue sky as a gleam of sunlight struck the perfect sphere and projected an image of a brilliant four-pointed star that was seen by everyone who happened to be looking skyward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _àthán_ is the Gaelic word for "asshole."
> 
> Thanks for reading this story! Reviews, critiques or comments are welcome!


	30. Science Fiction Double Feature

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cavalry is speeding toward Rann, the team conferences, however some problems and old recriminations arise that cause some concern for the brave and the bold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An important note: in the comic books, Superman's power grew tremendously when he was exposed to a blue star to the point he had the extra vision power that could empower a mere human to Kryptonian power levels while they were both under the influence of the blue star (he empowered his adopted father, Jonathan, that way). So, in this story, we're using the comic book capabilities and are consciously steering away from the lame power down of the show. Since a blue star is more energetic than our Sun and our Sun is far more energetic than an ancient Red sun (like Rao) it makes more sense the blue star would increase a Kryptonian's power.
> 
> Can you figure out the movie shout outs in this chapter? Let us know in the comments!

**The Planet Rann**

**Local Time Unknown**

“Green Lantern, the citizens of the new city-state of Narzam had to abandon it when Starbreaker’s Mechanix horde overran the business and financial districts.”

Adam Strange, the displaced man from Earth who now called the planet Rann his home, had led the trio of star-lost heroes to a large estate on the outskirts of some futuristic city, at least in the eyes of both Jesse and Diana, where they'd spied its gleaming towers off in the distance. Once they'd entered the residence and were provided refreshments by Sardath, the leader of the planet's ruling body, and the elder man's daughter Alanna, the Terran adventurer's girlfriend. Then Adam briefed Diana, Jesse, Arisia and the golden-skinned Lantern’s three fellow Corpsmen about the dire situation facing Rann through her ring.

Now Diana abruptly cleared her throat to gain her old friend’s attention. “Can you tell us more about these Mechanix, Adam?”

“They’re eight-legged robotic ants of immense size and power that appear to be constructed from very strong metal alloys. Normal lasers barely are able to scratch their surfaces. Only heavy energy weapons like neutron cannons appear to be capable of taking them down; however, the collateral damage caused by those weapons to our infrastructure is almost as bad as that caused by those rampaging monsters.”

“Um…excuse me, Dr. Strange,” Jesse Quick drawled. “Since I’m just a poor, dumb Earth girl, can you help me out here? Despite the title of the movie, I’m not easy, well most of the time, that is. However, I freely admit I’m hopelessly lost at sea and completely out of my element. So, could you please explain exactly who or what this ‘Starbreaker’ is?”

“I think I can help you out with that, Jesse. Give me a moment,” Arisia said.  Then she commanded her ring to link with the Guardians’ great computer system that had been constructed ten kilometers below the surface of Oa eons ago. It practically encircled that planet’s entire core. Moments later, her ring summarized all of the data the immortal humanoids had managed to compile regarding the cosmic villain.

_The information regarding Starbreaker is relatively incomplete due to the fact there have been only a handful of survivors after the destruction of all the worlds the entity has used to provide for his sustenance. He has been described as an immensely powerful humanoid far beyond the capabilities of a Kryptonian under a yellow star. He has skin pigmentation that is very similar to that of a native of Korugar. This creature has the ability to absorb enormous amounts of energy and use this retained energy at will. It is also possible he possesses the ability to travel in time and warp reality as he sees fit. He has been observed to create matter directly from energy and, unlike the energy constructs of a Green Lantern ring, the created matter continues to exist with no further input of energy or manifestation of will by him. He uses this ability to create the Mechanix horde that appears to act as terror weapons during his assault on a planet, although they may serve other purposes on his behalf._

_Instilling fear in the target planet’s population is a crucial part of the process during Starbreaker’s assaults. Many millennia ago, the creature learned that the energy released during the destruction of a planet inhabited by sentient beings whose minds and emotions produce a particular kind of psychic energy provided far more sustenance to him that the destruction of an uninhabited world. Once the planet’s inhabitants have been terrorized and demoralized, Starbreaker hurls the entire planet into its star. At that point, robotic spacecraft under the creature’s control processes the psychic energy of the life forms and energy produced from the destruction of the planet and transfers all of it into Starbreaker’s body. As a result, he is one of the most powerful beings in the universe, more than a match for even the most advanced stellar empires._

_“Ring,”_ Lena Luthor commanded through their communication’s link, _“show us an image of Starbreaker.”_

An image of a fairly tall humanoid with a build and coloring similar to that of Sinestro stood before them. He was dressed in an ebony uniform with a white four pointed star on his chest and a white utility belt around his waist. His gloves and his boots were blood red in color and his ensemble was capped off by a grand ebony cape that had a huge, stiff collar that came up just below his ears. As for his facial features, he was an attractive man except for the sinister smile that plainly showed the two long fangs he had in place of a Rannian’s or Terran’s incisors.

“Great…” Jesse muttered. “I just had to ask. So, basically, this guy is, well, Dracula in space.” Then she shook her head resignedly. “Dammit, guys!” she pinned both Diana and Arisia with faux angry glares, “I told you we’d run across some kind of alien who’d try to suck the life out of someone!” Then she grinned at them and drawled, “How come I feel like we’re the red shirts in some late night, science fiction double feature picture show?”

“I understand each one of those popular culture references!” Diana announced proudly. Then she gave the speedster a glance that sought to draw Jesse into the Amazon's conspiracy of naughtiness. “I saw the original production in London at the Royal Court Theatre in 1973!”

The speedster patted the princess’ shoulder gently while plainly humoring the warrior woman. “I'm so pleasantly surprised you're such an animal, sweetie! Good for you!”

As Arisia fought to keep from laughing at her best friend’s antics because, considering the fact Diana was almost as strong as Kara, it would definitely not be conducive to either of their longevities if the Amazon had realized she was the butt of their joke, Lena asked a question through their link. _“Ring, is there any data on the type of mechanism this Starbreaker uses to hurl a target world into its own sun?”_

Arisia nodded then grinned. _Looks like my partner is allowing her inner science nerd to be large and in charge!_ she mused inwardly to herself.

_The actual mechanism of planetary displacement is unknown at this time, Lantern Luthor. The accounts of the survivors are unclear on this point. There is some speculation that he possesses psionic abilities that allow him to displace the target worlds from their orbits._

_“I don’t buy that,”_ Lena declared. _“I’ve studied the Guardians’ database on information about the cosmic lifeforms that exist and I seriously doubt that any humanoid could contain the immense amounts of energy this Starbreaker is supposed to wield. Why, the only things even close to being able to handle something along these lines would be Sun Eaters, artificial creatures created by an offshoot from the parent race of the Guardians. This other race, unfortunately went in a different, more malevolent direction than our patrons if they thought it was a good idea to create such creatures. Another problem I have with this picture is the amount of energy and time it would take to de-orbit and send a planet hurtling into its sun. Just using Newtonian physics, the energy requirements would be enormous. Not even the largest interstellar power’s starship fleet could produce energy on that magnitude, not to mention the amount of time it would take for a planetary body to move from the zone of comfort to plunge into a star at less than luminal speeds. Nope,”_ she mused out loud, _“we’re missing a crucial piece of the puzzle here.”_

 _“You’re right, Lantern Luthor,”_ Tomar Re said over their connection. _“Normal space-time physics cannot support the alleged abilities of Starbreaker.”_

Arisia beamed both at the image of her instructor and her partner. She was so happy that Lena had made such a favorable impression on the man who’d taught Arisia how to be an effective Corpsman. She was so proud of her brilliant Terran!

 _“Thank you, Tomar,”_ Lena said graciously. _“And for efficiency’s sakes, can we dispense with the formalities and use our given names? I trust you all. So, on my end, I’m Lena. John and Kara are with me.”_

 _“Of course, you know Sinestro and me,”_ Tomar added.

“And I’ve got Adam, Jesse, and Diana with me,” Arisia announced.

“Wait a minute!” Jesse snapped. “John, you’re with Lena? Can you hear me?”

He chuckled then answered her. “Hey, Speedy!”

“Oh my God! You came!”

“Yes, ma’am! I couldn’t stay at home and allow you ladies to have all the fun!”

“Hello, John! It will be so wonderful to fight at your side again,” Diana said and Jesse narrowed her eyes at the Amazon then.

“Why, it’ll be just like old times, Princess,” Hancock said.

Arisia almost laughed out loud at the jealous look the speedster shot at the warrior princess before she asked her fellow Lanterns, “How much time will it be before you get here?”

 _“I’m about half an hour away,”_ Lena responded.

 _“The same is true for us,”_ Tomar said.

“So, what’s our next move?” Jesse asked.

“We need to figure out how to handle those Mechanix and find out Starbreaker’s location,” Adam said.

 _“We need to gather intelligence on both the robots and their master. We need information if we’re going to defeat them,”_ Lena reasoned.

“Absolutely,” Diana agreed then she turned to Adam and asked, “Can you take us to the city where these robots have run amok? Perhaps we can uncover any weaknesses while we surreptitiously observe them.”

“All right then, we’ll leave immediately,” he said.

“I guess that’s my cue, Lanterns!” Arisia announced. “I’ll sign off now and fly my team to Narzam. See you soon!”

Then she terminated the signal and strode toward the exit with her companions.

#

**Hyperspace Conduit One**

Something at the back of Lena’s mind had been prodding her while their energy construct bubble hurtled through hyperspace toward Rann.

Unfortunately, the briefing had distracted her attention from determining the exact nature of the problem but that couldn’t have been helped.

It was when she admired the striking figure of her girlfriend in the battle armor that the Luthor heir had constructed for Kara when it hit her right between the eyes.

“Shit!”

Now Kara regarded her soulmate with a concerned expression on her lovely face. “Lee? What’s wrong?”

“Please give me a moment, baby.”

At that moment, she wished she could have taken the last word in her sentence back when she saw Kara’s concern change to fear. They both knew Lena only used less formal terms of endearment with her lover when she was worried about Kara’s safety.

For a fleeting moment she considered not saying anything to Kara in the hopes her armor’s default setting would keep her soulmate from any harm. Then she sighed. She and Kara were a team. They both had sworn there would be no more secrets between them on that glorious night they had revealed their secret identities and declared their love for each other.

So, Lena sighed then said, “Kara…I just realized based on the calculations I had to perform to create the algorithms I used for the AI of your armor that a blue giant like the Polaris A star, due to its energetic fusion reaction in comparison to our Sun, is more than likely to double the strength of all of your abilities. Indeed, it may provide a few new abilities to you, as well. The problem, though, is I don’t know if the effects of the exposure to Polaris A will have any lasting harmful side effects to your physiology. Now, if you activate the armor’s force field, you’ll be shielded from any effects of the star while the suit’s reactors will continue to provide you with the solar radiation you need.”

Her Supergirl nodded. “We all heard what Arisia’s ring had said about Starbreaker. With the immense amount of power he wields, I don’t think I could go toe-to-toe with him with my normal abilities.”

“Kara…please…I won’t…I…I can’t ask this of you.”

“Lee…I…I have to do this.”

Lena began to shake her head but Kara’s plaintive gaze stopped her.

“Baby…I saw my homeworld die and I was powerless to stop it. That’s a burden I wouldn’t wish on even my worst enemy. If I can help the Rannians stop that cosmic vampire by exposing myself to the energy of a blue star, I have to do it. I couldn’t live with myself if we lost Rann and I didn’t take the risk that would have saved all of those lives.”

With tears in her eyes, Lena Luthor slowly crossed the small space between them and tenderly brushed her fingertips over the crest on Kara’s chest. Then she stared up into the azure she loved above all else and whispered fiercely, “Kara Zor-El Danvers, you shall always be my hero.”

The blonde Kryptonian blinked back tears of her own as she gently cupped her lover’s chin in the palm of her mighty hand. “Right back at you, Lee.”

They were so lost in themselves, for several moments they’d forgotten John Hancock was inside the bubble with them as they sped along the Dirac Sea that underlay their universe. Then they turned their gaze to their friend and found he’d been moved by their plight, as well.

“During the War,” he said, “I thought I’d seen feats of heroism I’d never see again in a world that turned its back on the selfless, innocent men and women who’d risked everything to keep an entire planet from falling to the darkest impulses of humanity. Kara, Lena, the politicians who govern us have become so…so jaded. Then I met Jesse and the both of you. Ladies, thank you from the bottom of my heart for making me believe in heroes again.”

Weeping now, both women hugged their tall friend closely while their bubble continued on its way through the crimson swirling eddies of hyperspace.

#

**Hyperspace Conduit Two**

“Is something troubling you, my friend?”

Tomar Re shot a wry glance at Sinestro. “Do you mean other than the fact we’re racing to a star system that happens to be the main course on the menu of an apocalyptic cosmic entity who’s snuffed out the lives of trillions of beings over countless millennia that has never, ever been defeated? Why would I be concerned about a trivial thing such as that?”

Sinestro cocked his eyebrow at him and chuckled. “It’s not like we haven’t faced circumstances such as this before. Of course, the scale is a bit…different.”

“Exactly!”

Sinestro and he were among the best the Corps had to offer. They were many things but they weren't idiots. They both knew it would be a miracle if they could defeat Starbreaker without dying in the process but, with the exception of the Guardians and the cosmic vampire, the two veterans knew that death came with the territory of being a Green Lantern. Despite that fact, a Lantern couldn’t do the job if he/she/it wasn’t cocky and bordering on the line of arrogance.

Hell, those qualities in spades was implicit in their job description.

Now the friends returned to their companionable silence while Tomar’s thoughts turned to a time when he’d faced a situation that had, in some ways, been similar to the one Rann faced today.

#

He’d been in the Corps for five years when the Guardians had reassigned him from his normal sector patrol duties to deal with the homeworld of the most advanced society in his region of space. The planet had grown increasingly unstable and had been due to explode, caused by continually increasing internal pressures deep inside its core as a result of unwise energy consumption of it by the inhabitants. The Exalted Ones had told him to use a rare compound called stellarium to dampen the tectonic pressure and give the planet’s inhabitants enough time to recognize the danger and flee the doomed world.

Back then he hadn’t been as diplomatic as he was now, so he’d thought nothing of asking the Guardians why they hadn’t simply removed the inhabitants from the dying planet. The wise ones had told him that humanoids along the lines of the people of that planet and Lantern Luthor’s homeworld tended to be xenophobic and would have resented the Guardians’ intrusion into their internal affairs even if their own recalcitrance had led to their civilization’s demise.

So, for months, he’d continued to tirelessly gather the stellarium to keep the destructive fires inside the planet’s core at bay. Then, on one fateful day, shortly after he'd surreptitiously watched two of the leaders of the planet's ruling council outfit escape vehicles for members of their families, he’d been en route to the planet and exited a wormhole in a nearby star system to avoid detection from their scanners. Unfortunately, that star had emitted a massive yellow solar flare, stunning him and forcing him to drop the stellarium. However, even though he’d quickly recovered from the stellar phenomenon, he’d discovered it had blinded him. Unwilling to give into despair, he’d used his ring to emit radar waves that helped him gather what little stellarium he could find without his sight before he’d proceeded toward the planet.

He’d been only a hundred kilometers away from the outer reaches of the planet’s atmosphere when his vision had begun to clear. Then the first thing he’d witnessed upon the return of his sight had been the planet’s catastrophic explosion.

Several days later, he’d regained consciousness on Oa. The Guardians had sent Abin Sur to find and recover him once they’d lost all contact with the Lantern of Sector 2813. Then, after he’d rested and recovered from his wounds, he’d faced an inquest. Fortunately, the Guardians had found that not only was he blameless for the planet’s destruction, his dogged fortitude and ingenuity in overcoming his blindness and attempting to reach the doomed world had been so gallant they’d held him up as a shining example for the other members of the Corps.

Yet, despite that, nearly every day during the year after Krypton’s destruction, he’d wept bitter tears of recrimination for his failure which had led to the loss of an entire culture.

#

“We’re almost at the point where we need to exit the hyperspace conduit, Tomar.”

The sound of his old friend’s voice dissipated the ghosts from his past for the moment.

“What?!”

In response, the Korugarian gave him a faux annoyed look. “Tomar, the time for woolgathering has come to an end. Once we enter the Polaris system, we’re back on the clock.”

He blinked twice then resolved to focus all of his attention on the here and now. “You are absolutely right, Sinestro. Now, it’s time for action!”

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this story! Reviews, critiques or comments are welcome!


	31. No More Tomorrows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The leading scientist of Rann's ruling council seeks to have the most powerful sorceress on Rann join the Lanterns, Supergirl, Hancock, Wonder Woman and Jesse Quick to defend the planet from Starbreaker!

**Chapter 31**

**In the Valley of Tira (one of Rann's moons), outside of Rannagar, the Capitol City of the Planet Rann**

**Local Time Unknown**

Although Sardath, as the Chairman of the planet’s ruling council, had entered the Temple of Deedra on several occasions in the past, today, everything seemed...different. At first, he couldn't put his finger on it. Then he realized he felt as if he were arriving at the holy place for the very first time. Apparently, the desperation surrounding the situation the people of Rann all faced now had weighed heavily on him and played tricks with his mind. However, even after he'd drawn that conclusion, he couldn't help but think this could also be the final opportunity anyone had to visit the ancient Temple.

Rann’s preeminent scientist found himself taking more notice of his surroundings while he stood beside his parked flyer. To the elder man’s right was the Hemisphere, a huge dome where the Matriarch of the Rannian People conducted the Ceremonies of the Goddesses, the deities their ancient ancestors had continued to worship even after they had settled their new world many thousand of years ago. At the base of the dome, there were a series of high arches that supported the massive cupola and served as entrances for worshipers to attend temple services. Underneath the dome in the very center of the structure was the Altar that had been consecrated by the Goddess Deedra herself as evidenced by ancient crystalline recordings. The exalted one, whose skin was as white as the surface of Tira in Rann's night sky, had communed with her people while her faithful companion, Jheryl, the golden-skinned Truth Seeker, had stood witness to that most holy of holys.

To the left of the Hemisphere stood the Emerald Tower. For untold millennia, it had been the tallest structure on the face of the planet. Now the old man gazed up and admired how the serpentine stone edifice seemed to stretch up toward the clouds. Of course, as a man of science, he knew that a trick of the light created the illusion that he beheld.

Several seconds passed before he sighed heavily and began to stride slowly toward the Tower despite the pall that settled upon him like a death shroud. He had so much to do and so little time. Unlike the people of the Temple, he was not a man of faith even though he believed in The Word. Unlike the people of faith on Earth, according to his future son-in-law (he hoped), the Temple possessed recordings and physical evidence with an unbroken chain-of-custody from the time his ancestors had left the planet of their origin to found the colony on the world where Sardath was born. However, he preferred to deal with matters he could measure and quantify. Faith, by its nature, was an intangible thing in comparison to the heady substance of science.

He also preferred the certainty of science in comparison to magick.

It was a sixth fundamental force of the Universe and the ancient Atlantean, as well as Rannian scientists, had a basic understanding of it. However, only those with pure blood lines belonging to the offspring of the immortal Atlantean mages who’d founded the magnificent lost empire on their origin world, could hope to wield that power without paying the high price those without the genetic disposition would bear if they tried to use this force. Fortunately for Rann, the Matriarch of the Temple was a scion of those progenitors. The woman was the pinnacle of breeding, directly linked to those ancient mages. She was a warrior priestess who channeled magick to the point she appeared to actually warp reality at times.

Soon, the elder man reached the entrance into the Tower where a pair of young priestesses dressed in green robes stood sentinel. Moments later, they opened the heavy wooden doors with a minor flick of their wrists then waved him inside. He entered a densely columned hallway illuminated by floating lights. Normally, the hall would be bustling with acolytes, worshipers and merchants and the cacophony of their voices would fill the air. Today, though, all was silent. As he strode across the hall, the echo of his footsteps unsettled him.

Pressing onward, Sardath passed between two rows of columns that led him toward the center of the Tower. When he’d arrived, he spied a spiral staircase fashioned from serpentine stone that stretched upward as far as the eye could see. At first, he was concerned because he wasn’t certain if the woman who’d requested his presence expected him to attempt such a daunting ascent at his age. However, before he could even begin to place one foot on the first step, he suddenly found himself situated at the highest level of the tower with all of those foreboding stairs comfortably behind him.

Three paces away, along the opposite wall, stood a plain wooden door. Taking a deep, calming breath, he lifted his hand to knock on it. However, he found his knuckles suspended in space as the door swung open suddenly to reveal the tall, Homo Magi woman whose golden hair reminded him of the vault of the planet’s sky and whose beauty stirred something deep inside every able-bodied man, even Sardath, an elder whose amorous times had long since passed.

Now she stood before him, garbed in emerald and ebony robes of the most luxurious silk. Normally, the highest of all the mystical priestesses had displayed a relaxed yet aloof expression on her face. Today, though, that was not the case. Now, she regarded him warily, a guarded and haunted look to her lovely eyes.

“Thank you for making haste to meet with me, Sardath. Please, come inside.”

“Ayesha,” he said with a slight nod of his head. “Although I am certain we are all pressed for time, I am here to assist you in any and all ways.”

She said nothing then. She simply turned and led him deeper into her room. In silence, he followed her to a small round table where two chairs awaited them.

Once they both were seated, she regarded him with her witch-green eyes and he feared he’d lose himself within them.

“Sardath…tell me, do…do you believe these visitors are here because of the prophecy?”

He shrugged. “You, yourself, showed me the most holy of holys—the Tome of Deedra. Even though I had found it difficult to believe, the golden alien unmistakably bears the Goddess’ holy symbol on her choker. Moreover, she arrived here in the company of the royal Amazon and the scarlet speedster as set forth in the Tome itself.”

“You did not really answer my question, Sardath.”

He glared at her now. “What is it you wish me to say, Ayesha? You are well aware of the fact I have never been a religious man. I am a man of science. I suspect that shall be true until the day I draw my last breath. However, I know there are forces in the Universe I cannot truly measure or quantify. Your abilities are the proof of that uncomfortable happenstance. As for the prophecy, frankly, I want to believe in it! It may be the only hope our world has to defeat Starbreaker.”

She shook her head then. “I have always stood firm at the side of the brave men and women of our military against those foes from beyond the stars who sought to invade our world as did my predecessors. But, to now ally with aliens and these…hairy savages who stole the homeworld of our ancestors from our sires! Why, they are not far removed from the apes who still live amongst them in their jungles!”

He regarded her warily. He’d heard whispers that some of his people had resented the coming of Adam from Earth. He’d even heard that some of them had believed he had manipulated fate to bring the Terran to their world in the hopes that adding his blood to their gene pool would be the start of re-energizing the Rannian birth rate that had suffered during the fallout from the atomic wars that had plagued the planet centuries ago. Of course, none of their speculations in regards to Adam were true but that did not mean he could blithely ignore them. "What exactly do you mean, Matriarch?”

“We are superior to them in every way!” she spat. “How can the likes of them help us stand against a dark god himself?!”

Sardath glared at her then. _Our people have no time for this foolishness!_ he fumed to himself. “Ayesha, when Adam revealed the severity of the crisis we now face to the alien and the Terran women, these…well...heroes never considered returning to Earth to leave us to our fates. Not even once! Instead, they called for more Lanterns, as well as a Kryptonian, to come to our aid. They are, without a doubt, quite selfless and inordinately courageous.”

She beamed a look filled with curiosity his way. “Pray tell, who or what is a ‘Kryptonian?’”

“She is an alien who, outwardly, looks like us, but whose physiology is far more advanced than even ours. It has been said that her civilization was old when our ancestors on the planet of their origin had invented the wheel. Under the light of certain stars, they are blessed with unimaginable strength, speed, and abilities. Essentially, they are living, breathing batteries powered by the energy of the stars. The alien Lantern revealed to me that the Corpsman assigned to Earth is bringing the Kryptonian here with her.”

“Is your future son-in-law an ally of these...heroes? ”

He nodded. “He is a friend to the Princess of the Amazons. She was a dear colleague of his back on Earth. And, according to the alien Lantern, the Amazon almost measures up to the Kryptonian in regards to her strength and speed.”

“I see,” she murmured before she rose gracefully from her chair and practically glided over toward the large picture window that surveyed the verdant vistas surrounding the Tower as far as the eye could see. Unlike most of the surface of their desert world, the Temple and its grounds were nestled among the most fertile acreage on Rann and the fruit tree groves and grain fields could be seen spread across the floor of the valley.

“Ayesha,” he asked, his voice low. “Do you not believe?”

“I…I want to. I truly do. I was born to be in this moment, to dedicate everything I am to the Goddess, to this world, to my people. Yet, I find that placing all of our hopes in the hands of Terrans and aliens…makes me question my faith for the first time.”

“Ayesha…” he spoke to her in the voice he used to comfort his darling daughter when she was a girl. Of course, that was before she had transformed into a wonderful young woman. “We’re all frightened. And we have good reason to be so, based on what I have learned about Luciphage.” She snorted at the ancient name the Goddesses had given the intergalactic death god who now plagued their homeworld. Then he continued making his point. “What I heard from the alien Lantern’s ring did not give me any succor. However, what I do know is you are the most powerful warrior priestess Rann has ever had. Your powers would probably surpass even the abilities of any single agent of the Guardians of the Universe. If you are united with the Lanterns, the golden one’s companions and the Kryptonian, I truly believe Rann shall survive this fateful day.”

While she continued to peer through her window, she noted, “Shortly after Adam Strange arrived on Rann, he spoke with me. Were you aware of that?”

He blinked twice at the change in the course of their conversation. “No.”

She seemed to draw herself up before she removed her robes to reveal her lean yet immaculately feminine form garbed in her white skin-tight battle dress trimmed in black and green to his appreciative gaze. “He and I discussed much that day regarding the myriad of religions on his homeworld. Do you know that they have formed their beliefs solely on the basis of faith? As incredible as it seems, those people have no video or audio recordings of any of the events that supposedly served as the foundations of their faiths. They truly are so unlike us. Even after the atomic wars that had poisoned our world and driven us to the brink of extinction, we still maintained the crystalline recordings of the day that Deedra and Jheryl descended among us. We still keep the Holy Tome of Deedra and honor the Altar she’d consecrated. Yet, even with all of that evidence to support our beliefs, I experience a crisis of faith.” She now turned and gazed at him over her shoulder. “Perhaps…I could learn something from those…savages,” she offered with a self-deprecating smile.

“Perhaps,” he agreed with a smile of his own.

"The Planetary Defense Force is battling these robot creatures in two cities on opposite sides of our world. Which city did Adam Strange take our visitors?"

"They are attempting to gather intelligence about the ones in Narzam."

“Very well then. I shall join him along with the Lantern and her companions. Before I go, I wish to thank you for coming to see me, Sardath,” she said. “I apologize for taking you away from your vitally important work.”

“Making certain you understand your role in what is to come is of critical importance to our world’s survival, Matriarch.”

She graced him with a regal nod in response to his courtesy and respect. “Are you evacuating some of our people…just in case?” she asked quietly.

“Yes. As we speak, my associates are using the Zeta Beam to send them to the site where Adam Strange found the ancient transmat node our ancestors had used to colonize our world. Soon, my daughter shall travel to the other side to represent our people in case...”

She nodded. “I understand, my friend. Let us hope your daughter and her charges will still have a Rann to come home to.”

“Ayesha, on behalf of our people…thank you. Fight well.”

Now she graced the elder with a look brimming with the confidence that was sorely lacking when he had first set foot inside her sanctum sanctorum. “Good fortune to you, Chairman of the Science Council,” she then proclaimed.

“Good fortune to you, Matriarch of the Temple, Defender of Rann!”

Suddenly she graced him with a thin smile before she cast her spell. “Nruter htadraS ot sih reylf!” she exclaimed forcefully.

In the space of a heartbeat, he found himself suddenly standing outside next to his flyer.Then the boom of thunder sounded far off in the distance even though there wasn’t a single cloud in the golden sky above Sardath's hairless head.

In the next moment, he shook his head and chuckled softly. "Mystics," he muttered. "Always with their flair for the dramatic!" he mused.

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Classic lost civilization fiction readers may know the name 'Ayesha' from H. Rider Haggard's classic novel "She." She was the immortal queen of Kor who'd bathed in the flame of eternal life. Her name means, "She who must be obeyed." I've always told my kids that certainly is the name I call their mother! :)
> 
> Thanks for reading this story! Reviews, critiques or comments are welcome!


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